New powers will ‘name and shame’ the criminals f ined by CAB

CRIMINALS will be ‘named and shamed’ under new powers being granted to An Garda Síochána.

The milestone incentive will see the publication of names and personal details of people making a settlement with the Criminal Assets Bureau.

It will also slash the amount of time before the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) can sell confiscated property.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said she hopes that the new powers will act as a deterrent to criminals operating around the country.

The proposal is included in a review of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, which created CAB.

A total of 22 recommendations are being considered and, according to the Department of Justice, draft legislation on the reforms will be ready by the end of autumn.

A spokesman said: ‘A recommendation to give the Chief Bureau Officer the power to publish the names and specified details of tax defaulters who have made settlements with the Bureau is also being considered.

‘Subject to the advice of the Attorney General, it is hoped that we will be in a position to finalise a general scheme for new legislation to give effect to the accepted recommendations by the end of the autumn.’

Another reform being considered is the ‘substantial reduction’ in the current seven years before assets seized by CAB can be disposed of.

‘Reducing the suspension period would expedite depriving criminals of their criminal gains, cut asset maintenance and preservation costs and allow the bureau to keep its focus on its core investigatory activities,’ the spokesman added. ‘Since its establishment in 1996, CAB has been at the forefront of fighting organised crime in Ireland, in close co-operation with An Garda Síochána and other law enforcement agencies nationally and internationally.

‘The Government, and the Department of Justice, are committed to ensuring that CAB have the support necessary to maximise their impact in tackling organised crime.

‘As part of this commitment, last year the department completed a review to consider how best we can support CAB in its work.

‘In total, the review resulted in 22 recommendations for legislative change,’ the spokesman added.

Welcoming the proposals, Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan TD said: ‘I welcome the fact that details of settlements with CAB will now be published.

‘It makes absolute sense that settlements reached with CAB should also be published. CAB should also publish details of every court order granted against people availing of the proceeds of crime,’ he added.

Fine Gael senator Martin Conway also agreed the move will ‘go a long way’ in tackling organised crime.

‘People benefiting from the proceeds of crime should be named and shamed no matter how big or small their assets are,’ he said.

‘CAB was set up in the wake of the killing of Veronica Guerin and has been extremely successful in the work it does. I think a crucial weapon would be the naming of individuals who have their assets seized.

‘People who are involved in tax fraud are named and shamed by Revenue so it makes perfect sense why criminals who make a settlement with CAB should face a similar penalty,’ he added.

‘It’s also very important in terms of public transparency and I believe the move will act as a deterrent,’ the senator said.

‘A crucial weapon is naming individuals’