( L- R ) Macmillan, Chuck, Lightbourne

Opposition Senator and former commissioner of police, Colonel Trevor MacMillan, has urged the Government to provide more resources for the Financial Investigation Division (FID), a critical agency with special investigative capability to probe money laundering and recover assets from the proceeds of crime.

Debating the Proceeds of Crime Bill, which was passed without amendment in the Senate on Friday, Senator MacMillan said the FID was not adequately staffed at this time, as the agency had only 50 per cent of its proposed establishment.

He said the FID should be in a position to "hit the ground running" as soon as the Proceeds of Crime Bill was passed.

"I am suggesting that we don't wait for this bill to pass for the Financial Investigation Division to be brought up to establishment with the best talent they can find," said MacMillan.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister and Attorney-General, A.J. Nicholson, took Opposition Senator, Dorothy Lightbourne, to task on several points she raised during her contribution to the debate on Thursday.

Senator Lightbourne had argued strongly that several provisions in the proposed law should be amended, and warned against certain clauses, which she said could breach the constitutional rights of Jamaicans.

But Nicholson, who is also Leader of Government Business, sought answers as to why the member had such conflicting views on a matter "concerning one of the fundamental constitutional underpinnings of the bill."

Two camps

( L - R ) Smith, Nicholson

He questioned why a minority report was not filed or objections made during the meeting of the Joint Select Committee, which examined the bill over a one-year period.

Suggesting that the Opposition was split on its views as it related to the bill, Senator Nicholson declared: "This debate from the House of Representatives to here has produced two camps."

He contended that Opposition members in the House, including Delroy Chuck and Derrick Smith, did not share their colleague's opinion on the legislation.

Senator Lightbourne had argued that in regard to forfeiture and pecuniary penalty orders, the balance of proof in determining criminal lifestyle and benefit should be beyond a reasonable doubt instead of a balance of probabilities.

However, the justice minister contended that a hearing to determine if the defendant should be subject to a forfeiture or pecuniary penalty order was not a criminal hearing, noting that the trial would have already been concluded.

Senator Nicholson encouraged Jamaicans to support the legislation which was aimed at preventing profit from criminal activities.

- E.C.