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Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery Training Programme, Georgia (January 2011)

Experts for the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) conducted a follow up Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery training programme in Georgia during the period 24 – 28 January 2011.  As in the case of the first training programme which was conducted in March 2010, the aim of the programme was to enhance the capacity of Georgia’s key law enforcement agencies to analyse, investigate and prosecute international bribery cases.  The programme was once again attended by investigators, prosecutors and representatives of the Financial Monitoring Service and the Financial Police.

A practical exercise, during which the participants investigate a simulated corruption and money laundering case and the trace/recover assets, formed the centrepiece of the training. All formal lectures given during the training served as a basis for this exercise, e.g. a module on “Financial investigative approaches” which specifically challenged participants to consider the use of indirect and circumstantial evidence to prove corruption and money laundering.  After formal instruction on the Source and Application of Funds, a method which focuses on the gathering, analysis and use of indirect evidence, the participants took part in a mini workshop which allowed them to practice and debate the merits of using such a method within the context of the Georgian criminal justice system.

Mr Nikoloz Chinkorashvili, the Head of the Unit for Prosecution of Illicit Income Legalisation, gave an informative and thought-provoking presentation on Money Laundering within the Georgian context.

One of the participants, Mr Koba Gogiberidze, Head of the Investigation Department in the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia, expressed his gratitude to the ICAR for the training, commenting as follows:

“In spite of the fact that during my long career I have participated in many trainings, which, of course, were very useful for my job and performance, this training methodology was extremely important for me as I was required to actually investigate the case, collect evidence, seize criminals’ property and charge them. I was actually reminded of the hard work and effort required in respect of each piece of evidence collected during the investigation of serious criminal cases, in order to punish the criminal in the end.

Special thanks go to Mrs. Phyllis Atkinson and Mr. Federico Paesano, who shared their experience and taught us the methodology which is extremely important for the investigation of each criminal case.”