Rosalind Wright, the head of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), will warn an
      audience of international prosecutors "to be under no illusion" about the 
      guilt of solicitors, accountants and estate agents who help criminals 
      profit from their crimes.

      SFO investigators are looking at a number of law firms where they suspect
      solicitors of being involved in multimillion-pound money laundering 
      offences.

      In one case, says Ms Wright, a lawyer "groomed" a solicitor in another
      firm to commit a string of mortgage frauds. In another, which resulted in
      a conviction, a solicitor helped criminals fraudulently obtain $19m (£12m)
      from victims all over the world.

      "Please be under no illusions," Ms Wright will say. "The money launderer
      who helps criminals enjoy the fruits of their crimes is just as much a
      criminal himself."
      
      Speaking at an international conference of prosecutors in London, she will
      call for a change in approach to the treatment of white-collar crime.
      "The sort of criminals who make use of gaps in banking supervision, who
      take advantage of eyes that are shut to tax evasion, or of money emanating
      from drug deals, prostitution rings or the trafficking in human beings, 
      will not hesitate to use guns, bombs and any other means at their disposal
      to protect themselves and their cash," she will say.

      The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), which receives these
      reports, has found that 62 per cent of disclosures come from banks, 15
      per cent from bureaux de change and 7 per cent from building societies.
      Reports from solicitors account for just 1 per cent of disclosures;
      accountants are responsible for even fewer.

      By Robert Verkaik Legal Affairs Correspondent
      12 September 2002
      http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/story.jsp?story=332466

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