ZAGREB, April 6 (Hina) - Last year more than 60 million kuna were blocked in Croatian banks on suspicion of their murky origins, and another 50 cases, with transactions worth over a half billion kuna, were reported as suspicious,
according to figures released by the office for prevention of money laundering.
ZAGREB, April 6 (Hina) - Last year more than 60 million kuna were
blocked in Croatian banks on suspicion of their murky origins, and
another 50 cases, with transactions worth over a half billion kuna,
were reported as suspicious, according to figures released by the
office for prevention of money laundering. #L#
In 2002 the office processed suspicious, illogical and
economically unjustified transactions, worth more than 1.4 billion
kuna (approx. 180 million euros). After that it notified competent
bodies - the state prosecution, the interior ministry, the office
for the fights against organised crime (the so-called USKOK) and
finance ministry's competent departments -- of 50 cases with
suspicious transactions involving more than a half billion kuna
(approx. EUR65 million).
In 1999, the office, for instance, checked 120 cases for which it
believed that they might be the money laundering cases, involving
more than 1.3 billion kuna.
The office for the prevention of money laundering has been
established as an independent financial-intelligence department
within the finance ministry. Its duty is to gather data about
suspicious transactions but the office is not authorised to conduct
investigations and cannot press charges but can only report murky
dealings to competent authorities.
(hina) ms