Posted on 06/21/2012 2:18:35 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Struggling banks in the EU and beyond are becoming more willing to launder dirty cash for organized crime.
Italy's anti-mafia prosecutor Pietro Grasso drew attention to one of the lesser known aspects of the crisis at a hearing in the European Parliament's new anti-mafia committee on Tuesday (19 June).
He told press: "The current economic crisis is making criminal groups even more powerful because they've got liquid cash, they've got ready money ... and not just in Europe, but in other countries where there are fragile economies and they can influence politicians."
His line was echoed by Jean-François Gayraud, the chief superintendent of the French police.
"What we've seen in Europe is widespread criminalization of financial structures in the internal market," Gayraud said.
The phenomenon poses an "existential question" for some countries where it has "transformed" both national politics and financial markets, he added. …
The EU parliament committee is planning to flesh out ideas for a new European Commission "action plan" for EU-level counter-measures.
But for (Paris-based criminologist Michel) Koutouzis, the creation of the committee is itself part of the problem.
"The authorities' preferred approach is to observe, to study, to create committees and new institutions. They already know what's happening, but no one wants to take action," he told EUobserver. …
(Excerpt) Read more at euobserver.com ...
“More” willing my arse.
Deutchesbank was the primary warehouse lender for Ameriquest/Argent mortgage.
Do you want the criminals who run deficits to have more influence than the criminals with money?
Maybe the mafia should form a political party. They couldn’t steal more than the folks currently running things.
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