A 14-member Joint Select Committee of both houses of Parliament has been appointed to review two controversial money laundering bills – entitled An Act to Amend the Money Laundering Act and the Financial Investigations Act 2004.

The committee comprises promulgator of the legislations Dr Omar Davies, minister of finance and planning, as chairman; his minister of state, Fitz Jackson; Dr Peter Phillips, minister of national security; Dr Neil McGill and Charles Learmond, PNP lower house members; Audley Shaw, Delroy Chuck and Clive Mullings, JLP lower house members; and from the upper chamber, Senators Navel Clarke, Kern Spencer, Delano Franklin and Deika Morrison of the PNP; and Senators Bruce Golding and Shirley Williams of the JLP.

The two bills will complete the legislative programme aimed at bringing money laundering legislation in Jamaica in line with that of other countries, Davies has said.

However, he has noted that while the previous bills were non-controversial, the current bills relate to a new framework for the operation of the expanded division in the Ministry of Finance, which will now include responsibility for financial investigations, hence the need to refer them to a JSC.

Opposition spokesman on finance Audley Shaw has said it is absolutely important and necessary that, in the process of formulating these pieces of legislation, the public is given the opportunity to fully understand the issues and their implications.