OSCE Mission to Serbia supports police’s capacity to fight corruption

The OSCE Mission to Serbia handed over IT equipment to the Interior Ministry’s Anti-corruption Department on the occasion of its first anniversary, on 15 March 2019. The donation will contribute to enhancing the technical capacity of the department to conduct efficient and effective investigations of economic crime and corruption.

“The Ministry can be very proud of the level of professionalism and competence of its staff working in the Anti-corruption Department. The IT equipment that we donated today will ensure that this relatively new department is also technically equipped to fulfil its important tasks across Serbia,” said Andrea Orizio, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. “Systemic changes that the Ministry has introduced in the area of the fight against corruption are the best demonstration of ownership of key reform processes in the country.”

This initiative is part of an OSCE project that aims to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of the Interior’s Criminal Investigations Directorate specifically its Anti-corruption Department, to conduct complex financial investigations, examine fraud and investigate money laundering cases and other forms of serious crime, thereby contributing to the prevention of financial crimes.

This project is being implemented by the OSCE Mission to Serbia with the financial support of the Government of Norway, which has funded a series of specialized courses on various aspects of investigating economic crime and corruption, and with support of the Government of Italy, which funded the IT equipment donated to the Anti-corruption Department.   

The OSCE Mission to Serbia has been working in partnership with the Serbian Ministry of Interior on enhancing police capacities to effectively prevent and combat corruption since 2013.