THE Proceeds of Crimes Act 2005, which has never seen any Papua New Guinean prosecuted under this Act since its inception in 2005 may have to go back to the drawing board, Justice Gibbs Salika said yesterday.
The Proceeds of Crimes Act 2005 with its particular aims to confiscate the proceeds from criminals trying to benefit from it will now see a new twist that ensures this law is fully enforced soon.
This follows a four-day workshop this week where over 11 judges from PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and their facilitators from Australia and United Kingdom met to deliberate on this particular Act.
The workshop revealed that more awareness on the existing Act to ensure that police, the prosecutors and judiciary are well versed with the legislation.
Also that the people of PNG were aware that such an Act was in place and anyone dealing in money laundering would not continue to get away with it, the seminar was told.
The workshop – sub-regional judicial workshop on proceeds of crimes and money laundering – was funded by the Australian government.
Justice Salika, who is the chairman of the Judicial Education Committee, said: “The Proceeds of Crimes Act 2005 had many loop holes that would require immediate amendments so to make it effective.”