6 May 2011, 10:53 AM

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2011/5/6/39463/Society-as-a-whole-must-fight-money-laundering-experts-warn

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic.- A United Nations expert  in the war on money laundering yesterday urged the public and private sectors to involve all of society, to successfully fight that crime and financing terrorism.

Kristian Hölgue, UN Chief adviser on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Latin America and the Caribbean region all spaces of society must take part in that effort, since "there’s no sector of the economy that isn’t vulnerable to the crime of money laundering and the funding of terrorism.”

The expert, speaking in the two-day “International Anti-laundering Money and Against the Financing of Terrorism Conference" that began yesterday in the Punta Cana Paradisus Hotel, said he favors public policies to prevent those crimes and which support an alliance between the public and private sector.

Hölgue said the goal is to bolster the integration measures against money laundering, in the business management model, as well as to strengthen he coordination between the system’s players, to create a responsible business environment.

The US eyes foreigners’ bank accounts

In the last five years, the United States has adopted new policies to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism and even, for the first time, gatheres information on foreigners with accounts in that country, in cities such as Miami, revealed the lawyer Jack Blum, a expert in the control of government corruption, international financial crimes, money laundering, tax havens and international drug trafficking.

In the event organized by the Professional Studies Institute headed by Venezuelan lawyer Alejandro Rebodello participated officials of the UN, the United States, Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela and Dominican Republic.