gather and provide evidence in order to open cases of corruption in public procurement. In
2012 and 2013, with Mission assistance, a Law on Public Procurement and an amendment
to the Criminal Code pertaining to malfeasance in public procurement procedures were
adopted. This workshop was a pilot course that served as a basis for training public
prosecutors throughout Serbia to investigate allegations of corruption in public procurement
using this legal framework. Public procurement has been identified as the largest source of
systemic corruption in Serbia, and the aim of these workshops was to help the judiciary and
investigators create a track record of investigations, indictments and completed cases of
corruption in public procurement.
On 19 June and 20 August, the Mission, in co-operation with the US Department of Justice,
organized a seminar for 35 public prosecutors, MoI officials and PPO officials who deal with
uncovering and investigating alleged corruption in public procurement procedures.
Participants exchanged views on gathering data and initiating investigations as well as
utilizing the new Criminal Code provision on Malfeasance in Public Procurement
Procedures. In addition, the participants worked through two case studies of alleged
corruption in public procurement procedures in Serbia.
The Mission’s Organised Crime Advisor’s expertise was used during the training of 22 middle
and senior-ranking border and customs officers from a number of participating States,
including two participants from the Serbian MoI, at a five-day OSCE-supported training on
“Fight against Corruption” held from 16-20 September in Vienna, organized by the OSCE
BMSC in co-operation with the TNTD/BSMU. The sessions covered international standards
to fight corruption; definitions, types and impact of corruption; corruption investigation
techniques in border and customs services; as well as corruption prevention and integrity
strategies.
Financial Investigations
From 19-21 March, the Mission supported a study visit for five officials of the Ministry of
Finance's FIU to participate, together with colleagues from FIUs in Lithuania and Moldova in
the “FIU and GoAML Workshop” in Helsinki. The purpose of the study visit was to learn
about the Finnish FIU’s innovative IT system for the analysis of transaction reports as well
about the data, document and case management IT system. Participants were expected to
use the expertise of the Finnish FIU to improve the Serbian FIU's business intelligence model
in analysing data of financial transactions. This would enhance the FIU’s ability to discern
which financial data submitted by banks and other private sector reporting entities are at a
higher risk of money laundering and therefore require investigations.
Between 9-12 April, the Mission, in partnership with the US Department of Justice, organized
a training on “Financial Investigative Techniques” with trainers from the US Internal Revenue
Service - Criminal Investigation Division, for over 30 participants from the Higher
Prosecutor’s Offices throughout Serbia; prosecutors from the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s
Office, judges, as well as officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Tax
Administration, Tax Police, and the MoI. Participants were taught how to conduct
investigations into tax evasion and tax fraud through analysing financial statements.
From 16-18 April, the Mission, in partnership with the US Department of Justice, organized a
seminar on advanced financial investigations on money laundering and asset forfeiture. Two
FBI agents and a US federal prosecutor delivered a course on collecting and analysing
financial documentation. Approximately 50 participants took part, representing the Belgrade
High Court, the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, the Higher Prosecutor’s Office, the
Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office, the FIU, and the MoI. Participants learned techniques
to analyse financial documentation and bank documents; to conduct investigations; and to
prove the origins of assets suspected to be proceeds of crime.
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