Financial Crime World

Belgium and Netherlands Share Expertise with Serbia on Fighting Financial Crime and Terrorism Funding

A delegation of Serbian prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials recently visited Belgium and the Netherlands to learn from their counterparts how to effectively combat financial crime and terrorism financing. The five-day study visit aimed to enhance cooperation between the European Prosecutors’ Office and Serbia in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorism financing offenses.

Training Sessions

The Serbian delegation participated in three training sessions, focusing on:

  • Proving Criminal Origin of Assets: Participants learned about the importance of tracing the origin of assets and how to do so effectively.
  • Processing Tax Evasion Schemes as Predicate Offences to Money Laundering: The delegation gained insight into the definition of tax evasion in Belgium and how it can serve as a predicate offence to money laundering. Practically cases from Belgium were presented to illustrate the mechanism behind tax evasion schemes used by offenders in the country.
  • Combating Terrorism Financing with Foreign Elements: Officials learned about coordination with police and other partners in the fight against terrorism financing, financial analysis in terrorism financing cases, and IT tools for analyzing financial data.

Practical Examples and Case Studies

During the training sessions, participants were exposed to practical examples of high-profile cases, including:

  • The Dutch approach to investigating assets origin, which involves cooperation among various state bodies and strong public-private partnerships.
  • Financial forensics and building a case file through circumstantial evidence.

Implementation and Funding

The project “Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Serbia” is funded by Sweden and implemented by the Council of Europe. The aim of the project is to enhance cooperation between European Prosecutors’ Office and Serbia in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorism financing offenses.