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Initially I thought that this was crazy.
But then I stopped and thought about it a bit more. I realized that it's no different to the powers the CAB or Criminal Asset Bureau has in Ireland. This body was created to combat organized crime in Ireland after a well known crime reporter was murdered because of the stories she was writing. There was public outrage and the government passed several anti-organized crime steps.
The CAB has the power to seize property, assets and cash on the basis of suspicion of criminal activity. It is then incumbent on the original owner to prove they were acquired legally. This has helped address the bizarre past situations of "poor" and "unemployed" people driving around in BMW's and owning several houses. The gangsters in Ireland are now a lot more careful in flashing their money around, as it will otherwise be quickly confiscated.
It's worked well, and seems like a good idea to me.
I admit the above case is presented in such a way as to engender sympathy for Gonzolez, but if the cash is not the proceeds of crime then he should be able to prove it pretty easily.
Mr Mephisto
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