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Armenia Cracks Down on Financial Crimes: Expert Training Boosts Anti-Corruption Efforts
In a major push against financial crimes, Armenia has launched a comprehensive programme to tackle corruption and economic offenses. The country’s authorities have established a dedicated chain of law enforcement institutions, including the:
- Anti-Corruption Committee
- Economic Crime Departments within the General Prosecutor’s Office
- Anti-Corruption Courts
Despite these advances, experts point out that Armenian authorities still face significant challenges in conducting full-pledged financial investigations and effectively prosecuting economic crimes. To bridge this gap, a recent training programme was delivered by the Council of Europe to 65 representatives from investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial bodies involved in anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering efforts.
Training Programme
The training course, titled “Using Financial Investigations to Fight Economic Crime and Recover Assets”, focused on:
- International standards
- Latest practices
- Specificities of Armenia’s legal system
Participants were able to:
- Examine the different stages of financial investigations
- Apply specific techniques
- Resolve practical challenges
Inter-Agency Cooperation
In addition to enhancing technical skills, the programme aimed to stimulate inter-agency cooperation at national level by bringing together representatives from various institutions, including:
- Anti-Corruption Committee
- Investigative Committee
- National Security Service
- General Prosecutor’s Office
- Financial Intelligence Unit
The event also provided a platform for participants to reflect on their respective roles, capacities, and contributions to improving the quality and effectiveness of financial investigations in Armenia.
Deputy Minister’s Remarks
Deputy Minister of Justice Armenuhi Harutyunyan expressed gratitude to the European Union and Council of Europe for supporting Armenia’s justice and anti-corruption sector reforms through the “Partnership for Good Governance” programme. She highlighted the importance of the training courses, which enabled practitioners to acquire new knowledge and skills in investigating corruption cases and recovering criminal proceeds.
Follow-Up Activities
The Council of Europe has committed to continue building national capacities against economic crime in Armenia through follow-up activities based on the needs identified by national beneficiaries.