VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGP #1578/01 1370106
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170106Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9896
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 001578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR INL ERINDLER, L/LEI DBUCHHOLZ, AND EB/ESC/TFS 
JUSTICE FOR OIA SROBINSON AND AFMLS 
 
TREASURY FOR PDEGERABEDIAN AND FINCEN RMILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM KTFN ETTC KTFN EFIN SNAR SENV PHUM KIPR
EAGR, SN 
 
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE EXPANDS PREDICATE OFFENSES LIST TO COMBAT 
MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORIST FINANCE 
 
REF: 05 SINGAPORE 3516 
 
¶1.  In a move to strengthen its ability to combat money 
laundering and terrorist finance, Singapore's Ministry of 
Home Affairs (MHA) recently expanded its list of predicate 
offenses under which suspected individuals can be 
prosecuted.  The amended Corruption, Drug Trafficking, and 
Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act of 1999 
(CDSA), which went into effect May 8, now criminalizes the 
laundering of proceeds from 292 categories of serious 
offenses, including ones committed overseas, which would be 
serious offenses if they had been committed in Singapore. 
Previously, MHA limited its list to 184 offenses.  The 
additional predicate offenses can be viewed at: 
http://www.egazette.com.sg/Document/sls/2006/ 060254.pdf 
 
¶2.  Singapore's amended list appears to align more closely 
with the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) "designated 
categories of offenses" as defined in FATF Recommendation 
One.  For the first time, it includes offenses related to 
terrorist financing, illicit arms trafficking, 
counterfeiting and piracy of products, environmental crime, 
and insider trading and market manipulation.  The amendment 
supplements offenses contained in the previous Schedule 
covering areas such as trafficking in human beings and 
migrant smuggling, and sexual exploitation of children. 
With an eye on Singapore's two new multibillion dollar 
casinos slated to be operational in 2009, the list also 
addresses a number of gambling-related crimes. 
 
¶3.  Singapore's Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act of 
2000 limits its ability to cooperate with other countries 
unless an offense is on its list of "serious offenses" 
(reftel).  The limited number of crimes in the "serious 
offenses" list has been an obstacle in our efforts to 
conclude a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).  This 
expanded list covers many, but not all, of our concerns. 
 
¶4.  The following Acts (and number of new offenses, unless 
otherwise indicated) are covered in the revised CDSA list. 
 
Animal and Birds Act (6) 
Arms and Explosives Act (8) 
Arms Offences Act (1) 
Betting Act (3) 
CDSA (2 existing; no new offenses) 
Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act (1) 
Children and Young Persons Act (1 existing; 3 new) 
Commodity Trading Act (1) 
Common Gaming Houses (2) 
Computer Misuse Act (7) 
Control of Plants Act (5) 
Copyright Act (3) 
Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 
(1 existing; no new offenses) 
Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act(1) 
Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 2006 (3) 
Environmental Pollution Control Act (3) 
Explosive Substances Act (3) 
Feeding Stuffs Act (1) 
Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) Act 
(4) 
Hijacking of Aircraft and Protection of Aircraft and 
International Airports Act (4 existing; no new offenses) 
Human Organ Transplant Act (1) 
Immigration Act (2) 
Internal Security Act (3) 
Kidnapping Act (3 existing; no new offenses) 
Medicines Act (2) 
Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (1 - terrorist finance) 
Moneylenders Act (2 existing; no new offenses) 
Penal Code (156 existing; 16 new) 
Poisons Act (1) 
Prevention of Corruption Act (8 existing; no new offenses) 
Sale of Food Act, Food Regulation (1) 
Securities and Futures Act (3) 
Societies Act (6) 
Strategic Goods Act (2) 
Termination of Pregnancy Act (2 existing; no new offenses) 
Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act ((4) 
Trade Marks Act (4) 
United Nations Act - Anti-Terrorism Measures (1) 
 
Vandalism Act (1 existing; no new offenses) 
Wholesome Meat and Fish Act (2) 
Wild Animals and Birds Act (1) 
Women's Charter (4 existing; 3 new) 
 
HERBOLD