ANY person cohabiting with an officer in the new Criminal Assets Bureau - part of the measures announced by the Government in the fight against organised crime - is to get the same legal protection as husbands and wives the first time such a provision has been written into legislation.
The Dail Committee on Finance and General Affairs yesterday agreed a number of amendments to the Criminal Assets Bureau Bill, including one from the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, extending the legal protection for family members of bureau officials to "any person who is cohabiting or residing with the individual". Mr Quinn said the amendment was "a reflection of modern Irish society".
Mr Quinn told the committee the legislation would also include people living in an officer's house, such as foreign students or a relative or friend.
"The purpose is to extend protection to anyone who may be living in the house of a bureau officer", he said.
"There will not be a day lost in acquiring the assets of people who have made money by criminal activity", Mr Quinn assured the committee.
Other amendments agreed cover the anonymity of Revenue officials. They will not be required to produce an identity card in the course of investigations, and during trials they will enjoy a similar right to anonymity as rape victims.
Any person who publishes the fact that someone is an officer of the bureau or of the Revenue Commissioners, or a member of their family, or reveals their address, will be liable to up to 12 months in jail.
A third amendment is designed to allow for greater co operation with overseas police forces in seizing criminal assets.
Mr Quinn said that as part of the Irish EU Presidency, senior officers of the 15 EU police forces had already met in Dublin to see how greater co operation could be achieved.
The Minister said 26 officers were already working in the bureau gathering information and intelligence. However, prosecutions could not be taken until the Bill became law.
