Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Training Programme, Azerbaijan (March/April 2011)

Pursuant to a scoping mission held in Baku in January 2011, experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), part of the Basel Institute on Governance, conducted a six-day country specific training programme in respect of money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan in March/April 2011.  This project took place in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the main beneficiary being the Financial Monetary Service (FMS).

The purpose of the training mission in Azerbaijan was to provide capacity building training to key law enforcement agencies in analysing, investigating and prosecuting international corruption and related money laundering cases in Azerbaijan.  It was also to assist the authorities of Azerbaijan in enhancing their staff’s ability to handle international requests and to succeed in co-operation with foreign jurisdictions to repatriate stolen assets.

The programme were held in Baku, and attended by a total of twenty (20) participants, including investigators (Ministry of Taxes, General Prosecutors’ Office), prosecutors, judges and representatives of the FMS.

Ms Phyllis Atkinson, Head of Training for ICAR, opened the programme with comments aimed at emphasising the significant role played by law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of corruption and money laundering, and the importance of developing the skills to identify, trace and recover the proceeds of crime.  The role played by the IMF, in conjunction with the ICAR, in providing the resources necessary to facilitate such a training programme was also duly acknowledged, including the financial support provided by the Topical (AML/CFT) Trust Fund (TTF).  Thereafter, Mr Fuad Aliyev, the Head of the International Relations Department of the FMS, welcomed the participants to the training and thanked the IMF and Basel Institute for their role in making the programme possible.

The programme involved an interactive combination of foundation building lectures, mini workshops, and a large simulated investigation relating to corruption, money laundering, asset tracing and asset recovery.  A real life simulated case that aimed at an ultimate asset recovery action, and incorporated all the relevant disciplines and preparation necessary for prosecution, proves the best way to truly raise capacity and awareness in, and further co-operation between, government entities tasked with this work.  Given the fact that the concepts of asset recovery, AML, corruption investigation, mutual legal assistance and asset tracing are all so interconnected, they were addressed holistically during the course of the training program.