In December 2009, the Society’s President, John Mills, on behalf of the Society, issued a call for Government enforcement agencies and legislators to more effectively combat money laundering, bribery, white-collar crime and corruption. Every MP and members of most NZ city councils, were issued with a copy of his statement, which pointed out that the internet and new developments in information technology, now provided crime investigators with very powerful new tools to assist with the detection and solving of white-collar crimes, corruption etc. The statement is quoted in part, below. It is a call to see the upholding and promotion of good community standards in a far broader context than a mere narrow focus on a traditional, conservative vision of what constitutes “moral welfare’.

“In the past 30 years technology has progressed to such an extent that [the identities of] people [living or deceased] can be tracked through DNA research coupled with numerous other technological [eg forensic science] advances. Cold case files have been solved through means that were once impossible. In the same way, the internet has enabled researchers to track the operations of individuals, property companies and plane flight paths, etc. by accessing extensive public electronic records. All of this was not previously possible to the ordinary researcher before the advent of the internet.

“Government officials and agencies are generally not funded to make extensive enquiries using this media, as there needs to be a provable substantial body of evidence and then consensus and approval from authorities higher up; before they will expend the time and effort pursuing such details. Furthermore, enquiries are rarely pursued based merely on suspicions of wrongdoing.

“The Society and its team of researchers have been engaged …. in looking into money trails behind the porn industry. Because we believe that pornography and its well-known associated elements such as prostitution are morally corrupting, we also believe that other forms of corruption may well be linked to it. ‘Where there is smoke there will likely be fire’.”

“These links are almost impossible to hide because all legal businesses and a vast amount of associated activities they engsage in, are by necessity on the public record…. The Society urges government officials to pursue [and stamp out] corruption in the course of their duties. [Read more…]

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. is applauding the announcement yesterday by Justice Minister Simon Collins and Police Minister Judith Collins, of a three-year plan to crackdown on international organised crime.

A Justice Ministry report estimates that 70 per cent of adults in New Zealand have been targets of some form of cyber crime. [Such activities include the posting of defamatorty, malicious and threatening content directed at individuals for the purpose of  extortion or coercion. The posting of hardcore pornography directed as a ‘weapon’ to malign innocent targeted individuals is an example of how pernicious cyber-bullying can escalate into more serious criminal offending].

An organised crime crackdown by Government would involve anti-money laundering measures, protections against identity theft and steps to prevent bribery and corruption. It would allow more information to be shared by domestic agencies and across borders.

[Overseas money-laundering across international borders and domestically has been linked to the very lucrative pornography industry, prostitution, illegal drugs and sex-trafficking]. [Read more…]

POSTING racist or xenophobic messages on the internet and Holocaust denial could be illegal if New Zealand signs up to a international cyber-crime agreement.

Justice Minister Simon Power and Police Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced a three-year plan to crack down on international organised crime. One proposal involves the Government signing the Council of Europe Crime Convention, also known as the Budapest Convention.

A protocol of the convention requires nations to make “the dissemination of racist and xenophobic material through computer systems” a crime. It also makes denial or justification of the Holocaust and other verified genocides illegal.

Almost 30 nations have ratified the convention. However, a number – including US, Ireland and Britain – have refused to sign the protocol.

The organised crime plan proposes to review New Zealand law “with a view to adopting” the convention. A Justice Ministry report notes many laws already conform to the convention.

Source: The Dominion Post Wednesday, Augustr 24, 2011, p. A9.