Estonia’s Finance Ministry has drafted legislative amendments that would grant the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) explicit authority to access banking data to combat money laundering, ERR reports. Under the law, banks would not be allowed to inform clients about such inquiries. Earlier, following criticism from Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta restricted both FIU’s and the Tax and Customs Board’s (EMTA) access to banking data. Pakosta is critical of the draft amendments. She argues that FIU should be transferred from the Finance Ministry back under the authority of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) so as to ensure proper civilian oversight, ERR reports. However, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi insists that FIU is not and should not be turned into a law enforcement or an investigative agency.
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