(Jamaica Gleaner) ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW and public accountants are among five professionals and owners in the gaming sector that will now be subject to reporting requirements under the Financial Investigation Act (FID) and the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) as the Government expands its efforts to cramp money laundering and financial crimes in Jamaica.
The Senate on Wednesday approved five Orders under the Financial Investigations Division Act which introduces the new requirement effective yesterday.
The other professionals or gaming sector owners that will be affected are real-estate dealers, casino operators and gaming machine operators.
“In the 21st century the reality is that crime is sophisticated, financial crime is pervasive and pernicious and corrupting and … professions and businesses have been proven to be particularly vulnerable to becoming facilitators of financial crimes such as money laundering,” Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding asserted while piloting the Orders in the Senate.
He said that these professionals and business operators must comply with the basic minimum framework of the anti-money laundering effort, noting that this was not a Jamaican reality, but rather worldwide.
