Section 344AA — Crimes Act 1961: Money launderers

344AA Money launderers (1) Every one charged with an offence (in this section referred to as a money laundering offence ) against subsection (2) or subsection (3) of section 243 of this Act or subsection (2) or subsection (3) of section 12B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (which sections relate to money laundering and laundering the proceeds of offences) in respect of any property that is the proceeds of a serious offence— (a) May be indicted whether or not the person who committed that serious offence has been indicted or convicted or is amenable to justice; and (b) Either— (i) May be indicted alone in respect of that money laundering offence; or (ii) May be charged jointly with that other person in one indictment in which each is charged in a separate count with the respective offence alleged to have been committed by that person, in which case those persons may be tried together. (2) Where any property is the proceeds of a serious offence, any number of persons who are alleged to have committed, at different times, a money laundering offence in respect of that property, or any part or parts of that property,— (a) May be charged jointly in one indictment in which each is charged in a separate count with the respective offence alleged to have been committed by that person; and (b) May be tried together. (3) For the purposes of this section, the terms proceeds , property , and serious offence have the same meanings as they have in section 243 of this Act and in section 12B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 , respectively. Section 344AA was inserted, as from 1 September 1995, by section 6 Crimes Amendment Act 1995 (1995 No 49). Subsection (1) was amended, as from 11 May 1998, by section 13 Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 14) by substituting the words “ or subsection (2) or subsection (3) of section 12B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (which sections relate to money laundering and laundering the proceeds of offences) ” for the words “ (which relates to money laundering) ” . Subsection (1) was amended, as from 1 October 2003, by section 32 Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39) by substituting the expression “ section 243 ” for the expression “ section 257A ” . Subsection (3) was amended, as from 11 May 1998, by section 13 Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 14) by inserting the words “ and in section 12B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, respectively ” . Subsection (3) was amended, as from 1 October 2003, by section 32 Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39) by substituting the expression “ section 243 ” for the expression “ section 257A ” .