$52 Million Allocated to Asset Recovery Project

A total of $52 million has been allocated to the Caribbean Asset Recovery Project in the 2013/2014 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives.

The project seeks to strengthen the Financial Investigative Division by providing technical assistance to build its criminal asset recovery capabilities in tackling serious crimes.

It also purports to develop the capability of the judiciary in the preparation, presentation and hearing of financial crimes.

Physical achievements include the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the government of Jamaica and the United Kingdom; and a Chief Technical Director has been put in place.

Anticipated targets for the 2013/2014 fiscal year include: to improve preparation of prosecutor’s statement; to increase recovery of criminal assets; to increase public awareness of the benefits of recovering the proceeds of crime; training to improve the number of persons who can present proceeds of crime cases; and training to improve the number of magistrates and judges who have the requisite capability to hear proceeds of crime cases.

The project is being funded through a grant from the Department for International Development and is scheduled to be completed by September 2015.

By Latonya Linton, JIS Reporter