The Steering Committee meeting of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Support to Zambia’s Multi-Agency Approach to Fighting Corruption programme on 20 March 2024 in Lusaka was a testimony to the strong leadership and commitment of Zambia’s key anti-corruption and accountability institutions to move ahead together to recover Zambia’s stolen assets.
A high-level meeting of heads of anti-corruption agencies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) last month was a chance to take stock of member countries’ efforts to tackle corruption.
The meeting allowed for a reflection on many ongoing activities and discussions around Collective Action in the region this year. It was the perfect opportunity to reflect on how to galvanise joint efforts against the region’s biggest scourge.
We are delighted to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Prosecution Authority of Zambia. The MoU, which covers support for Zambia’s efforts to fight corruption and recover stolen assets, was signed in Zambia’s capital Lusaka on 28 June 2023.
Shell companies, trusts and other corporate structures allow criminals to hide their illicit money abroad, often in offshore financial centres with poor beneficial ownership transparency. Officers seeking to investigate and prosecute transnational corruption cases need to understand these structures and how to cooperate with foreign jurisdictions.
This guidance seeks to capture and explore the innovative approaches that African governments have developed to address the demand and supply sides of corruption more effectively and sustainably. It is designed to help government institutions, in particular national anti-corruption agencies, engage with the private sector more effectively to prevent corruption.
An intensive training programme of our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) in Zambia has brought fresh impetus to the country’s fight against corruption.
The financial investigations and asset recovery training programme, held in collaboration with the Zambian Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), brought together participants from a wide range of law enforcement and oversight bodies.
Anti-corruption and asset recovery specialists in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Zambia have taken an important step forward in developing their ability to recover the proceeds of financial and other serious crime.
Within days of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Western governments imposed unprecedented economic sanctions against the Russian state and certain Russian oligarchs. They are now working to identify and freeze assets linked to sanctioned individuals and entities – a magnificent challenge in itself.
Anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors from Kenya, Sierra Leone and Zambia joined experts from our International Centre for Asset Recovery on 16–18 November to share experiences of non-conviction based forfeiture (NCBF) laws in their countries.
We are delighted to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Zambia.
Under the new partnership, our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) will support the Commission’s efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption cases and to identify and recover stolen assets. This includes support for international cooperation to obtain intelligence and evidence from abroad.