OSCE organizes working visit of Regional Anti-corruption Platform to the Anti-corruption General Directorate of Romania Interior’s Ministry
Best practices in conducting undercover operations to investigate corruption at border crossings were explored during a working visit of more than 30 members of the Regional Anti-corruption Platform from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine to the Anti-corruption General Directorate of Romania’s Interior Ministry in Bucharest on 25 and 26 November 2019.
The Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Anti-corruption General Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of Romania organized the working visit to further foster the Regional Anti-corruption Platform community and to develop a roadmap for the Platform’s future activities.
Representatives from OSCE field operations in the region attended as well as experts from the Anti-corruption General Directorate of Romania.
The event provided a forum for the participants to share best practices as well as challenges related to the use of undercover operations in investigating corruption cases at border crossings.
“Corruption cases are particularly difficult to prove because of the existence of a tacit agreement. An undercover operation may develop direct evidence of a bribe. Therefore, undercover operations and special investigative means remain a powerful tool to detect corruption, which may support the investigation of a corruption case with solid evidence,” said Inesa Nicolaescu, Associate Border Security Officer at the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit. “The OSCE will continue to support the Regional Anti-corruption Platform and enhance the expertise of its members to effectively prevent and counter corruption at the borders at the national and regional levels.”
The participants’ discussions with experts from the Anti-corruption General Directorate focused on the special investigative methods used in undercover investigations in Romania and effective ways to prevent corruption, such as integrity testing. They learned how to use intelligence in covert operations and how to apply criminal investigative techniques in corruption cases at the border.
Members of the regional Anti-corruption Platform also presented their national practices on undercover operations in investigating corruption at the borders.