FIA bemoans cooperation issues between law enforcement agencies

The BVI’s Financial Investigation Agency (FIA) has joined in to bemoan the reported lack of trust among local law enforcement agencies in the territory.

In an invited position statement to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recently, FIA Director Errol George described this issue as one of the weaknesses of law enforcement in relation to tackling financial crime.

He said: “There is also some level of distrust where access to sensitive information is concerned — specifically, sensitive information pertaining to individuals suspected of being involved in financial crimes including domestic money laundering,” George stated.

The FIA boss also said cooperation between these agencies needs to be improved.

“For example, some law enforcement agencies take an unreasonable amount of time to respond to FIA requests for pertinent information to assist the FIA in carrying out its functions particularly as it relates to STRs,” he told the COI.

Just recently, newly-installed Police Commissioner Mark Collins similarly indicated a lack of trust between the local agencies and said this lack of trust hampers effective collaboration.

At the time, Collins stated that he has had discussions with Chief Immigration Officer Ian Penn and Commissioner of Customs Wade Smith, and found that part of the distrust comes because of fears that intelligence shared between the organisations might be leaked.