LONDON RART INVESTIGATOR ASSISTS IN THE CARIBBEAN

London RART currently has a financial investigator, Roger Moore, seconded to the Caribbean by the Foreign Commonwealth Office to provide advice on asset recovery.

As part of this secondment Roger, along with the other UK Security Advisory Team (UKSAT) advisor, held a workshop for the office of the Director of Public Prosecution in St. Lucia. The workshop was held on the 22nd of May and had the full support of the British and St. Lucian governments with all courts being closed for the morning in order to facilitate the event. All but four St. Lucian prosecutors and crown counsel attended.

The workshop covered the powers provided by The Proceeds of Crime Act in St. Lucia and how prosecutors can use the full weight of the law to confiscate assets from convicted criminals.

The workshop was part of the UK SATS programme to develop confiscation and forfeiture regimes in the Eastern Caribbean. Other workshops will follow in neighbouring jurisdictions and are focused on three levels-the investigators, prosecutors and the judiciary.

A presentation was also given to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police in St. Lucia who agreed to dedicate a Detective Sergeant (financial investigator) solely to confiscation matters. Five cases are already being developed to bring to the DPP's office.

On the 11th of May, a presentation was made in Antigua to the Prime Minister, Minister of National Security, the FIU, ONDCP, DPP, Deputy Police Commissioner, Head of CID, Customs Official, Department of Immigration and the Inland Revenue. The lieutenant of the ONDCP, who has lead on these matters, is drafting proposals to recover, confiscate and share the recovered proceeds of crime. Several cases are currently being developed for confiscation.

Further presentations and workshops are to follow in Barbados and Dominica.