Laundering report: BC Liberals didn’t do enough on crime, but no corruption evidence

A report into money laundering says members of the former British Columbia Liberal government knew hundreds of millions of dollars in suspicious cash was circulating at Vancouver-area casinos, but didn’t do enough to prevent the crime.

Although the inquiry report by former B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen found no evidence of political or personal corruption, it says anti-money laundering actions taken by the former government were not enough to stop the flow of illegal cash in the province.

“Money laundering has rarely been given priority, and too often it has been ignored,” said Cullen.

Cullen’s report says there were limited results from anti-money laundering actions by former gaming ministers Rich Coleman, Mike de Jong and Shirley Bond, and former premier Christy Clark.

All four politicians testified at the public inquiry, saying the actions they took were based on the best information they had on fighting money laundering.

The report says there’s no evidence any of the politicians knowingly permitted money laundering to occur for a personal benefit or advantage.

Cullen’s report makes 101 recommendations, including calling on the B.C. government to establish an office of an independent commissioner to focus on anti-money laundering and amending the Mortgage Brokers Act, the Real Estate Services Regulation and forcing casinos to lower the threshold for obtaining a gambler’s source of funds to $3,000.

To read the final report, visit: https://cullencommission.ca/files/reports/CullenCommission-FinalReport-Full.pdf