A Union Island man was granted EC$25,000 bail when he appeared in court on Thursday charged with two money-laundering charges.
Benjamin Harvey, 29, an unemployed man, is charged with concealing criminal property, to wit, EC$20,126.75, knowing or suspecting that the property, in whole or in part, constitute his benefit from criminal conduct, contrary to Section 123 (1) (a) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
He is also charged that he did disguise criminal property, to wit EC$20,126.75, knowing or suspecting that the property, in whole or in part, constitute his benefit from criminal conduct, contrary to Section 123 (1) (b) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The charges stem from a search that officers from the Rapid Response Unit of the Police Force conducted last Monday, Jan. 18, at Julie’s Guest House in Bequia in the presence.
Police say that during the search a quantity of monies was met.
Harvey was taken into custody and the matter was handed over to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for investigation following the seizure of the cash.
On Tuesday, an electronic interview was conducted with Harvey in the presence of his attorney.
On Wednesday, following consultation with the Director of Public Prosecution, Harvey was charged with two counts of money laundering.
Harvey appeared before the Serious Offences Court on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty to the offences.
He was granted bail in the sum of EC$25,000 and is scheduled to return to court on April 24.
Sergeant Pedro Harry, chief financial investigator at the FIU, laid the charges.
I do not know this man or anything about the case, but is it a crime to have 20k EC? What if this guy saved for many years and lost confidence in the bank?
Not only in SVG but in much of the world it is becoming a crime if you have, NOT IN THE BANK, a sum of money that the government deems too much for you. It is very quickly becoming a crime to have cash, and when you pay for something you MUST send it through a bank or money transfer institution. TRY TO PAY CASH FOR YOU HOTEL ROOM IN THE UK!
If they find you are saving money by stuffing it in your mattress you WILL go to jail!
Is that all they found, I sometime carry that amount around as walking money when I travel to the Middle East, East Europe and London.
Whilst 20K is considered a lot of money in SVG because the police and other workers are paid such small amounts of money, they think its a fortune.
Everything is relevant, I sometimes charge that much for a two day consultancy fee.