You recently reported that the Serious Organised Crime Agency wants solicitors to make more reports on suspected money laundering after a fall of 40% in the number of reports made (see [2008] Gazette, 20 November, 3).

I recently made a referral to SOCA about an opposition client. She appeared to have substantial assets by way of shares, which she had not disclosed when making an application to the local authority for housing benefit (which was relevant to the case), or to the Legal Services Commission in her application for legal aid. After three reminders and some three months, I had a telephone call from SOCA to say that it never acknowledged referrals and that my letter would stay on file until somebody got round to looking at it. At the time of writing, I am still waiting to hear from the local authority or the commission, which I fondly imagined to have been seeking to protect their budgets by investigating what may be fraudulent applications.

We get threatened with all kinds of dire consequences if we fail to report suspicious circumstances. Hardly seems worth it, does it?

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