ST.JOHN'S Antigua, May 30th, 2012 -- Government has increased the scope of function for the Office of National Drug & Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) with the ultimate purpose of giving the organization more leverage in discharging its duties.
In 2003 the ONDCP Act was passed establishing the organization as an independent law enforcement agency with specific authority to investigate reports of suspicious activity concerning specified offenses and the proceeds of crime.
Its sole purpose as it now stands is to enforce the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention) Act of 1996.
In the second and third readings of the Bill for the Office of National Drug & Money Laundering (Amendment) Act 2012 at Parliament today, Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Baldwin Spencer put forward the ONDCP Amendment Act.
Prime Minister Spencer, in detailing the Amendment says, “The Bill increases the scope of the functions of the ONDCP, particularly the mandate to investigate reports of suspicious activity concerning specified offenses and the proceeds of crime.”
It is proposed that an Amendment be made to Section 2 of the existing Bill by adding to the definition of ‘Specified offense’. Offenses under the Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act 2010, the Migrant Smuggling Prevention Act 2012 and the Firearms Act (171) will now come under ‘Specified Offense’ under the ONDCP Act.
These three Acts as they relate to Specified Offense will fall under the ambit of the functions of the ONDCP.
Currently, the ‘Specified offenses’ under the ONDCP Act means:
(a) Money laundering offense.
(b) A drug trafficking offense.
(c) An offense or conspiracy to commit an offense involving fraud or obtaining property by deception.
(d) An offense under sections: 6, 7,8,9,10,33 and 34 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 or an offense under the ONDCP Act 2003.
In light of increased criminal activity world-wide, especially in the areas of money laundering and drug and human trafficking, it is the purview of the Government that the Office of National Drug & Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) be allowed to “increase the scope of [its] functions.” In so doing, the ONDCP will be able to discharge their functions to society in a more effective manner.
With this Act, the ONDCP will be authorized to investigate reports of suspicious activity on a broader scale in addition to having authority to act upon a wider scope of offenses along with the responsibility of assisting law enforcement in crime detection.
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