The Organised Crime Act 2015 is a

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

of the

Parliament of Singapore The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Singapore, which governs the country alongside the president of Singapore. Largely based upon the Westminster system, the Parliament is made up of Members of Parliam ...

that empowers the law enforcement authorities to detect, investigate, prevent and disrupt organised criminal activities, and to deprive persons involved in such activities of the benefits of their crime, as well as to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts. The law is designed specifically to grant the

Government of Singapore The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore to mean the executive branch of the state, which is made up of the president and the Cabinet. Although the president acts in their personal discretion in the exercise ...

more empowerment in fighting crime especially against masterminds who instruct and intimate others into criminal acts.

Overview

An Organised Crime Group (OCG) is defined in Singapore as three or more people involved in serious crimes, such as

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

and

money laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...

with the aim of material or financial benefit. The Organised Crime Act further empowers the

in fighting crime. With the new law: *Civil Confiscation: The

public prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

may apply to the High Court for confiscation of material gains from activities of OCGs even without a criminal conviction. If the public prosector is capable of demonstrating that the crime most probably took place, the courts can confiscate the ill-gotten benefits before sentencing. *Preventive Orders: The public prosecutor would also be able to apply for the following three preventive orders: # Organised Crime Prevention Order, allows the court to restrict the activities and electronically monitor the movements of a suspect over a period of five years. This order can be issued without the suspect being found guilty. # Financial Reporting Order, requires suspect to furnish the authorities with financial reports, which can last throughout his term of imprisonment with an additional of five years. This order can be issued without the suspect being found guilty. # Disqualification Order, bars the accused from acting as a director of a company after being found guilty.

Uses of the Act

While crime situation in Singapore remains under control, the new law offers law enforcers an extra advantage especially against masterminds who instruct and intimate others into criminal acts. Becoming a member or recruiting members to join an OCG is also now a punishable offence.

References

External links

Organised Crime Bill
{{Law of Singapore 2014 in law 2014 in Singapore 2014 in the environment Acts related to organized crime Environment of Singapore Southeast Asian haze Singaporean legislation

Overview

Uses of the Act

See also

References

External links