Canada Amends the Criminal Code Offence of Money Laundering

The Government of Canada has amended the Criminal Code offence of money laundering. The regulation changes criminalise moving money on behalf of someone despite money laundering suspicions.

“This change modernises Canada’s money laundering criminal offences to be consistent with key allies (e.g. U.K. and Australia) and provides an additional tool to disrupt and more effectively investigate and prosecute money laundering, particularly when dealing with sophisticated actors such as professional launderers,” Finance Department spokesman Greg Sommerville said.

Canada also considers other recommendations produced in the past 18 months. 120 recommendations were filed, but only 19 have been approved so far.

“Canada has fallen so far behind for so many years, we’re playing catch-up,” James Cohen, executive director of Transparency International Canada said.