DoMLI inundated with unrelated reports

KATHMANDU, JUL 12 -

The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) said that a majority of the complaints it receives cannot be investigated as they are beyond its purview. It added that even the reports registered by government agencies except for the Financial Information Unit (FIU) are unrelated to its authority.

“About 80 percent of the complaints registered by the general public and government agencies excluding the FIU are not related to our task,” said Bishwa Prakash Subedi, spokesperson of the DoMLI.

In addition to the FIU, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the Police and the Department of Revenue Investigation, among others, have filed complaints to the DoMLI. The FIU works as a focal point for collecting information on money laundering and terrorist financing and international exchange of information. The cases it has reported are usually worthy of investigation.

“It is probably due to lack of adequate knowledge that we are receiving cases which are not related to us,” said Subedi. For the last two months, the DoMLI has been broadcasting notices over the radio asking the public to report suspicious monetary transactions.

“We have been getting widespread response, but most of the reports are unrelated to us,” said Subedi. “The number of cases registered with us has doubled to 40 per month from 20 previously.” He added that most of the reports were related to perceived irregularities in forest consumer committees and cooperatives. The department is currently investigating 150 cases, out of which four to five have been registered by the public. It has so far filed 11 cases in court, and six of them have been decided.

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/07/12/business/domli-inundated-with-unrelated-reports/356993/