Casino money laundering was on our radar, ex-minister tells inquiry

VANCOUVER — Reports of money laundering at British Columbia casinos had the attention of the government a decade ago, according to the interim leader of the Liberal party who was then the minister in charge of gaming.

But Shirley Bond said Thursday that civil forfeiture, gang violence and gambling addiction were also major concerns when the gaming file was part of her duties as the solicitor general and minister of public safety in 2011.

She told the commission looking into money laundering in the province that, as minister, she implemented most recommendations of a government report on anti-money laundering strategies. However, the report’s call to create a cross-agency task force to investigate and gather intelligence on suspicious activities at casinos was delayed under her watch, Bond said.

The government appointed B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen in May 2019 to lead the public inquiry into money laundering after three reports outlined how hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal cash affected B.C.’s real estate, luxury vehicle and gaming sectors.

Bond said reports of money laundering at casinos were a matter of concern when gaming was part of her ministry.

“I certainly think the government’s response to media reports meant that it was on the government’s radar screen,” she said. “It certainly had government’s attention.”

The responsibility for gaming was transferred away from Bond to another ministry in early 2012. Bond said she could not recall being advised by topranking government gaming investigators that organized crime groups were suspected of providing large cash loans to casino patrons as part of a money laundering scheme.

“To the best of my recollection, that was not raised directly with me as minister,” she said.

Bond said she never discussed reports of millions of dollars of suspicious cash at casinos being linked to money laundering and organized crime with former premier Christy Clark.

“I do not remember having a specific conversation with her about that,” said Bond.

Clark has told the public inquiry she first heard from sources within the government in 2015 about a spike in suspicious cash at casinos.

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