Financial Crime and Corruption Remain a Major Concern in Armenia, Despite Reforms
Yerevan - The government of Armenia has made significant strides in combating corruption and economic crime, but challenges persist in conducting thorough financial investigations and effectively prosecuting those responsible.
Establishing a Dedicated Chain of Law Enforcement and Judicial Institutions
To address these challenges, Armenia’s authorities have established a dedicated chain of law enforcement and judicial institutions to target corruption, money laundering, and related offenses. These include:
- The Anti-Corruption Committee: A specialized agency focused on investigating and prosecuting corruption cases.
- Departments for Economic Crime and Asset Recovery within the General Prosecutor’s Office: Units that specialize in investigating and recovering assets linked to economic crimes.
- Anti-Corruption Courts launched in 2022: Specialized courts that handle corruption-related cases.
Training Courses on Financial Investigations
To address the need for advanced skills in financial investigations, the Council of Europe delivered two training courses on “Using Financial Investigations to Fight Economic Crime and Recover Assets” to representatives of investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial authorities. The training events were designed as practical capacity-building exercises to examine, discuss, and experiment with the functioning and use of financial investigations.
Technical Guidance Package
The Council of Europe also produced a technical guidance package on financial investigations into money laundering and terrorism financing. This package consisted of:
- A Handbook: A comprehensive guide that covers investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of money-laundering and terrorist financing cases in Armenia.
- A Procedural Manual: A practical guide for investigators and prosecutors to use during financial investigations.
Enhancing Inter-Agency Cooperation
The training program stimulated the enhancement of inter-agency cooperation at national level. Participants from various institutions engaged in lively exchanges, reflecting on their respective roles, capacities, and possible contributions to improving the quality and effectiveness of financial investigations in Armenia.
Support from International Partners
Deputy Minister of Justice Armenuhi Harutyunyan expressed gratitude to the European Union and the Council of Europe for their support to the reforms implemented in the Armenian justice and anti-corruption sector. She highlighted the importance of these training courses, which provided an opportunity for practitioners to acquire new knowledge and skills in the field of investigation of cases involving corruption and other economic offenses.
Continued Support from the Council of Europe
The Council of Europe will continue to help build national capacities against economic crime in Armenia through a series of follow-up activities based on the needs identified and expressed by the national beneficiaries.