OSCE and Partners Support Co-operation for Enhancing Financial Investigation Capacities for Economic Crimes
TASHKENT, 15 May 2015 – Developing financial investigation capabilities and improving co-operation among national law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and Financial Investigation Units (FIU) for detecting and disrupting criminal networks were key topics of a three-day workshop that ended today in Tashkent.
The event was aimed at enhancing financial investigation capacities by applying existing instruments and formalizing a system of joint financial investigations. It was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, the UNODC, the EAG and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
“In many ways, this regional workshop builds upon inter-agency and international co-operation in combating corruption and money laundering and aims to further improve the capabilities of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and FIUs to work together to conduct financial investigations for such serious crimes as corruption”, said Andrei Muntean, OCEEA’s Senior Economic Officer.
Oliver Gadney from the UNODC stated, “Effective financial investigation can deliver some of the deepest and most lasting disruptions to criminal and terrorist enterprises. The latter continue to pose serious challenges to many countries.”
He added that the workshop has brought together experts from across a wide region who face common threats from terrorist and criminal finance, and has provided an opportunity to share good practices in developing and enhancing their investigation teams.“
Aliaksandr Vadziany, EAG Administrator, added, “The seminar provided for an excellent opportunity for the participants to share experiences between the states of the Central Asian region and beyond to gain access to financial investigation and other methods of combating money-laundering and financing of terrorism in other countries”.
The workshop gathered over 40 representatives of Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors from Central Asian countries, Pakistan and Iran and provided a platform for expert speakers from international organizations, as well as from Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, China and the United States to help the participants develop national financial investigation strategies in working groups.
The workshop received financial support from the United States of America.