Money-laundering commission resumes hearings in B.C.

An inquiry into money laundering in British Columbiais scheduled to begin hearing witnesses today in Vancouver.

The hearings were delayed until after Saturday's B.C. election.

Commissioner Austin Cullen rescheduled the hearings to preservethe independence of the commission and to protect the integrity ofthe electoral process.

B.C.'s New Democrat government launched the inquiry after reportsthat illegal cash was helping to fuel the real estate, luxury carand gambling sectors in the province.

The government also commissioned three reports that said thosebusinesses were hotbeds for dirty money. Attorney General David Ebyhas said the inquiry will be able to dig deeper because it cancompel witnesses to speak.

The inquiry is scheduled to hear this week from former RCMPofficers and officials from the British Columbia Lottery Corp. (BCLC).

In February, the B.C. Real Estate Association told the inquirythat it supported the creation of a provincial land registry thatidentifies those buying property. It has also struck a working groupto make anti-money laundering recommendations.

BCLC has said it consistently reportedsuspicious transactions to Fintrac, Canada's financial transactionsreporting centre, and pointed out unusual conduct to the gamingpolicy enforcement branch.

The lottery corporation has also brought in measures to control orprevent the flow of dirty money since 2012, including creating ananti-money laundering unit made up of certified investigators andintelligence analysts.

The Great Canadian Gaming Corp., which owns several B.C. gamblingsites, also defended the company's efforts to limit moneylaundering, telling the inquiry that criticism of the industry isunfounded.

A coalition of tax fairness groups have told the inquiry thathiding ill-gotten cash behind shell companies is so widespread inCanada it's known globally as "snow washing."