Prevention of Money Laundering: Additions to Second Schedule to Act XIX of 1994

The Government is widening the list of the second schedule of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 1994, by an amendment which came into effect today by means of a Legal Notice.

The list defines the type and nature of predicate offences relating to money laundering. The amendment proposes an increase of ten new items to existing list of nine.

The new items are:

• Any crime affecting public trust
• Any of the crimes under sections 197, 204, 205, 208 and 210 of the Criminal Code
• Theft
• Any crime of fraud
• Any crime against the Customs Ordinance (Cap. 37)
• Any crime against the Official Secrets Ordinance (Cap. 50)
• Any crime against the Arms Ordinance (Cap. 66)
• Any crime against the Central Bank of Malta Act
• Any crime against the Exchange Control Act (Cap. 233)
• Any crime which constitutes a "corrupt practice" as defined in the Permanent Commission against Corruption Act (Cap. 326)".

The nine items included in the former list will all be retained. These were:

• An offence against the law relating to dangerous drugs or narcotics
• Illegal dealing in arms and armaments
• Procuring, or trafficking in men, women or young persons for immoral purposes
• Dealing in slaves
• Piracy
• Illegal arrest, detention or confinement of a person
• Wilful homicide
• Wilful grievous bodily harm
• Blackmail