71. Is it specified that a particular institution(s) is responsible for investigating money laundering that relates to political parties, candidates and elected officials?

7. Functions and powers of the Financial Intelligence Unit-(1) The Financial Intelligence Unit:

(a) shall receive reports required to be provided to it and information provided to the FIU by any agency of a foreign State, information provided to the FIU by a law enforcement agency or a government institution or agency, and any other information voluntarily provided to the FIU about suspicions of a serious offence, a money laundering offence or the offence of the financing of terrorism; and

(b) may collect information that the FIU considers relevant to serious offences, money laundering activities or the financing of terrorism and that is publicly available, including commercially available databases or information that is collected or maintained, including information that is stored in databases maintained by the government; and

(c) may analyze and assess all reports and information; and

(d) may request information from any law enforcement agency, government agency or supervisory agency for the purposes of this Act; and

(e) may enter into Memoranda of Understanding, agreements or arrangements with Samoan Government and non-governmental agencies and authorities, including the Police Service, the Customs Department, the Immigration Department, the Central Bank and the Samoa International Finance Authority, so as to ensure close liaison, cooperation and the secure exchange of information; and

(f) may provide information concerning a money laundering offence or an offence of the financing of terrorism, without the need for a request, to foreign agencies concerned with the prevention or investigation of money laundering or the prevention and suppression of terrorism, when such information comes to the attention of the FIU and may assist that foreign agency; and

(g) may send any report, any information derived from such report or any other information it receives to the appropriate law enforcement and, supervisory authorities if, on the basis of its analysis and assessment, the FIU also has reasonable grounds to suspect that the transaction is suspicious; and

(h) may inform any regulatory authority, government agency or law enforcement agency of an alleged breach by a financial institution of the provisions of this Act or the Regulations with a request that such authority or agency review the business or other licence of the financial institution following such alleged breach; and

(i) shall destroy a suspicious transaction report received or collected on the expiry of five years after the date of receipt of the report if there has been no further activity or information relating to the report or the person named in the report for five years from the date of the last activity relating to the person or report; and

(j) may instruct any financial institution to take such steps as may be appropriate in relation to any information or report received by the FIU to enforce compliance with this Act or to facilitate any investigation anticipated by the FIU, notwithstanding that such financial institution has not made a suspicious transaction report in relation to such matter; and

(k) may compile statistics and records, disseminate information within Samoa or elsewhere and make recommendations arising out of any information received; and

(l) may provide training programs for financial institutions in relation to customer identification, record keeping and reporting obligations and the identification of suspicious transactions; and

(m) may undertake due diligence checks and other inquiries as may be requested in writing by the Central Bank, Samoa International Finance Authority, the Samoa Police Service and other Government agencies and departments, as may be named by the Authority; and

(n) may provide feedback to financial institutions and other relevant agencies regarding outcomes relating to the reports or information given under the Act; and

(o) may conduct research into trends and developments in the areas of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and improved ways of detecting, preventing and deterring money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and

(p) may educate the public and create awareness on matters relating to money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and

(q) may obtain further information on parties or transactions referred to in a report made under sections 13, 23 and 24; and

(r) may disclose any report, any information derived from such report or any other information it receives to a government of a foreign State or an institution or agency of a foreign State or of an international organization established by the governments of foreign States that has powers and duties similar to those of the FIU as set out in sections 8 and 9, if on the basis of its analysis and assessment, the FIU has reasonable grounds to suspect that the report or information would be relevant to investigating or prosecuting a serious offence, a money laundering offence or an offence of financing of terrorism.

Source: Article 7, Money Laundering Prevention Act 2007 consolidated to December 2016

The Financial Intelligence Unit has general powers in relation to money laundering