Caribbean agency to track crime proceeds
(Trinidad Guardian) laundering, occupational fraud, human trafficking and FATCA.
These are just some of the topics that will be discussed in detail by a battery of speakers, including Attorney General Faris AlRawi at the fraud conference carded for June 5 and 6 at the Radisson Hotel, Port -of-Spain.
Established in 2006, Martin said IMPACS was formed to address issues of crime and security in the region.
In 2013, Martin said there was a Caricom crime and security strategy which was adopted by Heads of Conference.
She said one of the goals of implementing that strategy was taking the profits out of crime.
“The proceeds of crime is what was fuelling and putting money back into the hands off the criminals to continue to perpetrate crime. IMPACS embarked upon a number of initiatives and partnerships towards taking the profits out of crime,” The opening lasts for 1 1/2 hours Martin said.
Just recently, she said, IMPACS partnered with the United Nations office on drugs and crime “and drafted within the region an agreement for the return and sharing of criminals assets.”
Martin said the collaboration was to ensure that crime and crime cases are solved.
“But is has sweetened the deal to enhance collaboration among members states which is really the spirit of Caricom and would really allow us to share in the proceeds of those recovered assets and use those recovered assets to filter back into crime solving.” Martin said this agreement should have been signed by the Heads of Conference at their intersessional meeting last month.
“But unfortunately there are just a few hitches to be worked out and we are hoping that it is going to be signed in July at the Conference of Heads meeting in Grenada.”
She said that IMPACS has been working on assets recovery with a number of partners for member states in the area of asset tracing, asset management and prosecuting assets forfeiture cases.