(Trinidad Express) All past, present and future money laundering transactions will be caught under the Miscellaneous Provisions (Proceeds of Crime Anti-Terrorism, Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago) (No 2) Bill, 2014, Leader of Government Business in the Senate Ganga Singh has said.
Singh made the statement on Wednesday in response to a question by temporary Independent Senator Dr Sharon Le Gall during the committee stage of the Upper House on Wednesday at the International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Larry Howai introduced the bill in the Senate. During the debate held then, several Independent and Opposition Senators raised concerns amendments to the bill would repeal a section of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and allow money launderers to walk free. The section in question is 43, a transposed version of the controversial Section 34, Opposition Senator Camille Robinson-Regis said in her contribution.
Just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the bill was unanimously passed in the Senate with amendments. There were 30 votes for, with none against and no abstentions. Robinson-Regis lauded the Government for listening to the concerns of the Opposition and Independent benches.
“We would like to say that we were heartened that on this occasion the Government did listen and, as consequence of that, where we did say that we would not support this piece of legislation despite the fact that we know that it is important for the country, we felt that it was important to have that Section (43) inserted and we are heartened that the Government listened, and we are trusting that this insertion in fact captured what we are trusting it is intended to capture as promised by the (Finance) Minister (Howai) and his colleague Minister (Ganga) Singh,” Robinson-Regis said.
Following contributions by 15 senators, Tuesday’s sitting was adjourned at 9.55 p.m. The Senate resumed at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Howai on Wednesday moved that the bill be considered clause by clause by a committee of the Senate. When it came to Clause 43, senators were most vocal.
Independent Senators Helen Drayton and Anthony Vieira both expressed their gratitude that the Government included Section 43. “The Government has sent an amendment to reinstate the (Section 43) 2c. So it really was just to make a comment and that was to thank the Government for listening and for the inclusion, and I think that that is very commendable,” Drayton said.
“We are talking about the Government’s proposed amendment? Delighted to see it,” Vieira said. Robinson-Regis also commended the Government during the committee stage. “I just wanted to say that the Opposition was very concerned about the exclusion of this clause, particularly in circumstances where the UK legislation included it and as a consequence of that we are very pleased to see this clause included,” she said.
