FM: Select cases carefully for prosecution

Finance Minister P Chidambaram asked the Enforcement Directorate to be extremely careful while choosing cases for prosecution under the money laundering law and focus its energies on important ones. "A word of caution is necessary. We must be extremely selective in deciding which cases to prosecute under the money laundering law. Otherwise, we will be overwhelmed with cases that we would be required to prosecute," he said addressing officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED). Stating that money laundering was behind crimes like human and drug trafficking and terror financing, the Minister called for greater international cooperation to deal with the menace. "It is important that agencies across the world cooperate, share technology, share information and chase the offenders," Chidambaram said. Extending support to the measures taken by ED to come down heavily on violators of foreign exchange laws, the Minister said there was a need to strengthen the directorate and fill up the positions lying vacant for long. "I would like to appeal to the CVC, UPSC and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to please understand the gravity of situation arising out of these vacancies and work harder and quicker to ensure that these vacancies are filled," Chidambaram said.