Justice Minister says new legislation that he is bringing forward will put Manitoba at the forefront of addressing organized crime.

Minster Cameron Friesen is looking at making it easier for authorities to seize assets from suspected criminals.

“With banking on smartphones and other technological advances, moving assets has become simple, easy and instant,” the Minster says in a statement. He is hoping to slow this.

Saying that this allows people to transfer funds to avoid civil forfeiture, Friesen wants Bill 58: the Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act to speed up courts and law enforcement seizing assets. This will be done in two ways.

The first is by allowing the use of a preliminary preservation order if there a serious issue to be tried in forfeiture proceedings. The second proposed method would require a person to answer questions related to how they acquired property if it is suspected that it was obtained unlawfully or through illegal proceeds using a preliminary disclosure order. This bill would also allow a court to reject the orders.

The proposed changes are not set yet, as they require judicial authorization and oversight.

"Bill 58: the Criminal Property Forfeiture Amendment Act, would enable courts and law enforcement to move more quickly to ensure criminal assets cannot be moved beyond the need of law enforcement and the court. This way, the recouped funds can continue to be invested in community initiatives that benefit Manitobans.”

The funds seized would be used to:

• compensate victims of the unlawful activity that led to the forfeiture of the property;
• funding Victim Services;
• promote safer communities by investing in specialized equipment/training for law enforcement agencies; and
• promote safer communities by providing funding to law enforcement agencies for community initiatives.

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