In The News for Jan. 10: RCMP too short-staffed to follow up on tips from Fintrac?

The Canadian Press used the Access to Information Act to obtain the briefing memo, which was approved by RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki last Sept. 1.

The RCMP receives financial intelligence from Fintrac, which could shed light on money laundering or terrorist financing, in two ways.

The first is through a response to a voluntary information record, which advises Fintrac of potential criminal activity and might prompt the centre to release information related to suspects.

The second is through proactive disclosures from Fintrac when they point to possible criminal activity gleaned from analysis of information the centre receives from banks, casinos and reporting organizations.

The RCMP briefing note says Fintrac’s analysis is of “significant tactical importance” to the force, as it may uncover previously unknown conspirators, assets, transfers and relationships.

Overall, Fintrac’s financial intelligence contributed to 335 major, resource-intensive investigations in 2021-22 as well as hundreds of other individual investigations at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, the centre said.

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Also this …

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden are meeting face to face this morning as the North American Leaders’ Summit begins in earnest.

It’s the first formal bilateral for Biden and Trudeau — two-thirds of the so-called “Three Amigos” — since the Summit of the Americas in June.

Much like last year’s gathering of hemispheric leaders, Biden’s agenda will be dominated by the migratory crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

That’s why this morning’s meeting will be Trudeau’s best chance this week to press Biden on issues of specific concern to Canada.

The two have plenty to talk about, from lingering trade disputes over dairy markets and the auto sector to the embattled trusted-traveller program known as Nexus.

There’s also the lingering question of when Biden will make his oft-delayed visit to Canada, normally one of the first foreign trips of a new president.

But for Canada, the overarching economic goal of the summit will be to ensure Biden — a vocal champion of protectionist, pro-labour domestic policy — sees America’s neighbours as true partners and collaborators.

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

A longtime Donald Trump lieutenant who became a star prosecution witness and helped convict the former president’s company of tax fraud is set to be sentenced today for dodging taxes on $1.7 million in company-paid perks.

Allen Weisselberg is expected to be sentenced to five months in jail, in keeping with a plea agreement the senior Trump Organization adviser and former chief financial officer reached in August.

The 75-year-old was promised the short sentence in August when he agreed to plead guilty to 15 tax crimes and testify against the company where he’s worked since the mid-1980s.

He had faced the prospect of up to 15 years in prison, the maximum punishment for the top grand larceny charge, if he were to have reneged on the deal or if he didn’t testify truthfully at the Trump Organization’s trial.

Weisselberg is the only person charged in the Manhattan district attorney’s three-year investigation of Trump and his business practices.

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

China suspended visas today for South Koreans to come to the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for COVID-19 testing requirements on Chinese travellers.

A brief notice posted online by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said the ban would apply until South Korea lifted its “discriminatory measures on entrance by China” to the country. No other details were given, although China has threatened to retaliate against countries that require travellers from China to show a negative test result for COVID-19 taken within the previous 48 hours.

China requires the same measures for travellers entering the country.

Beijing has been accused by the World Health Organization of withholding data on the state of the outbreak in China, and around a dozen countries, including Canada, have followed the U.S. in requiring negative tests for travellers coming from China.

China abruptly reversed its strict pandemic containment requirements last month in response to what it says was the changing nature of the outbreak. That came after three years of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing that prompted protests on the street in Beijing and other major cities not seen in three decades.

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On this day in 1850 …

Explorers Robert McClure and Richard Collinson began the extensive search for the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his expedition. It has been described as the greatest search mission in the history of exploration. While looking for Franklin, the expedition discovered the Northwest Passage. It is likely that Franklin found it first, but none of his crew lived to report the discovery.

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In entertainment …

Several big Canadian names are competing at tonight’s Golden Globes, as the film and TV awards show attempts a comeback after a year off the air.

Among the high-profile names is James Cameron, who is vying for the best director award for his sci-fi epic “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which is also up for best drama motion picture.

Also in the running is Toronto filmmaker Sarah Polley, who is nominated for best screenplay with her female-led drama, “Women Talking.” The film also received a nod for best score.

Competing in the best animated feature category is the Toronto-set coming-of-age adventure “Turning Red” by Canadian animator Domee Shi.

On the performance front, Canadian-American actor Brendan Fraser is up for best actor for his leading role in Darren Aronofsky’s film “The Whale,” while Vancouver’s Seth Rogen is nominated for best supporting actor in the limited series “Pam & Tommy.”

Meanwhile, Martin Short is contending for best actor in a TV comedy series for his turn as an eccentric theatre director in “Only Murders in the Building.”

NBC did not broadcast last year’s Golden Globes after an expose by the Los Angeles Times alleged ethical improprieties within the show’s organizers, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The report also found that the group included no Black members.

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Did you see this?

The divisive social media personality Andrew Tate is expected at a court in Romania today to appeal against a judge’s earlier decision to extend his arrest period from 24 hours to 30 days on charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking and rape.

Tate, a 36-year-old British-U.S. citizen who has amassed 4.4 million followers on Twitter, was initially detained on Dec. 29 in an area of north of the capital Bucharest along with his brother Tristan, who is charged in the same case. Two Romanian suspects are also in custody.

All four of them immediately challenged the arrest extension that was granted to prosecutors on Dec. 30. A document explaining the judge’s motivation for the extension says “the possibility of them evading investigations cannot be ignored,” and that they could “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.”

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency said after the late December raids that it had identified six victims in the case who were subjected by the group to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and were sexually exploited by group members.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2023

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In The News for Jan. 10: RCMP too short-staffed to follow up on tips from Fintrac?

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