Money laundering – chapter three

Purpose - The paper seeks to provide an alternative and possibly controversial examination of the contemporary anti‐money laundering regulatory phenomenon. It is intended to challenge existing givens and to pose an alternative and challenging view of the reasons and the motives behind the imposition of the international laws and regulations dealing with money laundering. Design/methodology/approach - The paper contains the views of one man who has spent most of his working life examining the money laundering question and it is a single alternative view based upon personal experience. Findings - The findings are not enunciated in the sense that there are research outcomes. It is a question for the reader to interpret and accept or reject the writer's viewpoint. Practical implications - The paper seeks to encourage a more questioning and agnostic view of current anti‐money laundering practice, with the aim of stimulating more debate on a topic which has for too long been the captive of a small coterie of government agencies. Originality/value - The paper is challenging in that it represents a complete counter‐blast to every accepted conventional wisdom on money laundering. It is a viewpoint piece.