The Financial Investigations Division (FID) of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service in Jamaica has forfeited Jamaican $524,000 and £1,850 from Abdullah el-Faisal in the St Catherine Parish Court on August 7th, 2020. The money was seized by the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) in 2017 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). Mr. el-Faisal was the subject of an extradition warrant from the U.S. Government, which alleges his involvement in terrorism offences. The money was found at his home following his arrest.
Following investigations by the FID on the origin and intended use of the money, an application for its forfeiture was made to the Court. The Court ordered that the money be forfeited to the State. The Ministry of Finance and Public Service noted that this decision follows shortly after a Court of Appeal judgement which upheld the application for Mr. el-Faisal to be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial.
The Chief Technical Director of the FID, Selvin Hay, stated that “This forfeiture highlights the commitment of FID and its partners, in this instance the Jamaica Constabulary Force, to robustly apply the Proceeds of Crime legislation where appropriate in conjunction with any investigation being conducted. The majority of criminal and civil investigations being conducted across Jamaica inevitably involve profit, and this profit can and will be taken from those persons who are concerned in any way.”
He further noted that there are a large number of offences committed under POCA, which includes not only the initial commission of a crime, but knowingly assisting either before, during or after the fact.