The final report of BC’s public investigation into money laundering will be released on Wednesday morning.
Former BC Supreme Court Judge Austin Cullen’s more than 1,800-page document is the culmination of a trial that began three years ago.
In May 2019, the formation of the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia was announced.
Cullen was appointed to lead the investigation following reports that billions of dollars related to organized crime and drug trafficking had reached the BC gaming industry and the real estate and luxury vehicle markets.
Nearly 200 witnesses testified, including former Prime Minister Christy Clark, current and former cabinet ministers, government and gaming industry officials, law enforcement and academics.
Two former senior gambling officials said that more than a decade ago they expressed concern with government and gambling officials, including cabinet ministers, about the increase in suspicious amounts of cash appearing in casinos. from the Vancouver area.
The investigation found that in one month in 2015, BC casinos recorded $ 20 million in cash purchases, mostly on $ 20 bills.
LISTENING | Former CBC investigative journalist Eric Rankin talks about the importance of the BC money laundering report:
The Early Edition6:59 Retired Investigative Journalist Eric Rankin on the Importance of the BC Money Laundering Report
Retired CBC investigative journalist Eric Rankin talks about the importance of the release of the Cullen Commission report on money laundering in British Columbia.
The commission’s mandate is to draw factual conclusions, determine growth and money laundering methods, and determine whether regulatory agencies or individuals contributed to the problem or caused corruption in the province.
Cullen has promised that his report will include “recommendations that focus on making positive changes in many areas.”
The full report was presented to the BC government on June 3rd. The report and its recommendations will be made public at 11:30 a.m. PT on June 15.
In 2008, CBC reporters took $ 24,000 in cash to BC casinos to see how easy money laundering would be. It turns out that it was not at all difficult:
2008 CBC Money Laundering Investigation
The investigation was praised in last week’s Peter German report on BC casinos