CSCWB continues to strengthen capacities on investigating Financial Crimes
In the context of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), the regional project Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans – IPA 2019 (CSCWB) organised another workshop on the topic of Investigations of Financial Crimes, that gathered more than 30 representatives of prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and tax agencies from all Western Balkan states. Participants reconvened in Skopje (North Macedonia) on 26th and 27th of October 2022, to discuss the findings from the previous four-day workshop held in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in May, and to re-evaluate the findings of the online exercises they conducted during July and August.
Discussions focused on monitoring the ongoing developments in the field of financial investigations regionally; providing ground for development of future joint exercises and action, and establishing case-law sandpits for innovative approaches to resolving ongoing criminal cases. Individual participants shared their experiences on the above topics with other stakeholders in the WB6 region.
Participants also evaluated the contents of the manual/toolkit on financial crime investigations produced by our expert consultant Predrag Nikolic. By making use of the toolkit, LEAs’ and tax authorities’ enhanced their capacities to carry out financial investigations, prosecution and adjudication of corruption, money laundering (and terrorist financing). Inter-agency cooperation and exchange of information in financial crime cases, including information contained in asset declaration forms and registries of beneficial owners was also addressed. Additionally, this workshop helped to enhance the capacities for prevention of corruption, with a particular focus on financing illicit activities, assets declarations, verification of assets and income of public officials, ethics, integrity and conflict of interest.
