On October 3rd, a significant workshop on Financial Investigations was held at the Protea Hotel in Livingstone organised by the EU Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (GF-AML/CFT).
The workshop featured prominent officials such as the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions Mr. Gilbert Phiri SC,the learned Attorney General Mr. Mulilo Kabesha SC, the Inspector General of Police Mr. Graphel Musamba, Director General Drug Enforcement Commission Mr. Nason Banda, Director General Financial Intelligence Centre Mr. Clement Kapalu, the Accountant General, Senior Officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Bank of Zambia, the Zambia Revenue Authority and a diverse group of prosecutors from various institutions, including the National Prosecution Authority. The event aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of attendees regarding best practices in financial crime investigations.
The primary objective of the workshop was to equip prosecutors with the latest techniques and strategies for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes. As financial offenses become increasingly sophisticated, the need for specialised knowledge and collaboration among prosecuting agencies is more critical than ever.
The workshop featured insightful presentations such as:
- Mutual Legal Assistance in Financial Investigation;
- The role of prosecution in parallel financial investigations/best practices in prosecuting stand-alone money laundering cases;
- Leveraging the Shared Forensic Capability-Enhancing Evidence Production in Complex Money Laundering Cases;
- Criminal confiscation and asset forfeiture: alternatives to counter Money laundering and terrorist financing.
The learned Director of Public Prosecutions also gave insight on the experiences of Zambia in Financial Investigations and Prosecution, asset recovery and management, success stories, challenges and new developments.
The workshop also included presenters from Seychelles and the Republic of Moldova who equally shared their successful case studies, giving insights and allowing the participants to learn from their experiences in tackling complex financial crimes.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of inter-agency collaboration. Prosecutors were encouraged to strengthen partnerships with law enforcement and regulatory bodies to enhance the efficacy of investigations.
In summary, the workshop not only provided valuable training but also established a network of prosecutors dedicated to enhancing the fight against financial crime in the region. The collective expertise and shared commitment to best practices will undoubtedly contribute to more effective investigations and prosecutions in the future.
We are extremely grateful to the EU Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (GF-AML/CFT) for its continuing support to help fight organised crime.
