India plans to ink MLAT with four nations

December 12, 2012

India plans to ink Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with four countries namelyOman, Azerbaijan, Israel and Nepal to pursue criminal investigation and confiscation of money or property involved therein.

What is Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT)?

MLAT is an agreement b/w two nations for the aim of collecting and exchanging information in an attempt to implement public laws or criminal laws.

Useful in tax matters (in particular as part of international DTAA. This assistance may take the form of examining and identifying people, places and things, custodial transfers, and providing assistance with the immobilization of the instruments of criminal activity.

How would it help?

The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) will enable mutual assistance in prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime, service of summons and other judicial documents, execution of warrants and other judicial commissions and tracing, restraint, forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crimes.

Is it a new concept?

No.

India already has this treaty with 32 countries including Iran, Kuwait, Mauritius, Switzerland, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.

There is a mutual legal assistance treaty with Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, France, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uzbekistan.