Six cases of unexplained wealth have been received by the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit.
This is according to the Director Razim Buksh who said these cases are dating back to last month.
While speaking at the Fiji Institute of Accountants Congress 2013 in Denarau, Buksh said there is nothing wrong in acquiring wealth and improving the material wellbeing by people.
However, this must be done legally and lawfully.
Buksh highlighted that Fiji now has a more modern law for dealing with sophisticated proceeds of crime cases where the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Decree now requires a person to show that wealth was obtained lawfully in order to keep it, rather than the law enforcement agencies to show that the wealth was obtained unlawfully in order to forfeit it.
He said the unexplained wealth provisions for both public officials and private individuals and businesses are the best mechanism that can now be used in Fiji.
Buksh said the idea is to take the profit and wealth away and deprive them from enjoying their ill-gotten wealth taken from unlawful activities and tax crimes.
He said this process can be undertaken whether or not the DPP and FICAC are able to secure a conviction of the predicate offence.
The congress ended yesterday.
Story by: Sofaia Koroitanoa
