Minister of National Security, Dr. Horace Chang, says the government has not abandoned plans to introduce Unexplained Wealth Orders, UWOs, in Jamaica.
He was responding to concerns from some stakeholders, including the Crime Monitoring and Oversight Committee, CMOC, to a response he gave to the The Gleaner on the matter.
In that response, Dr. Chang said the policy on the application of UWOs was still at the concept stage and is yet to receive approval from Cabinet.
Nora-Gaye Banton reports.
A UWO is a court directive that allows law enforcement to confiscate assets from individuals who cannot demonstrate that their wealth was obtained legally.
It would shift the burden of proof onto individuals to explain the source of their wealth.
Speaking on Nationwide This Morning, the national security minister says the government has not abandoned the introduction of UWOs.
Dr. Chang explained that the government’s researchers and legal experts have been facing hurdles to establish a policy on UWOs that aligns with the Constitution.
He says if the constitutional demands are not satisfied, the government could potentially face legal challenges from those who are served with UWOs.
The UWO was among the areas that the government agreed to when it signed the CMOC consensus in 2020.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chang says there several other investigative tools available in the country’s anti-corruption regime.
Dr. Horace Chang, national security minister.
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