Financial Crime World

Mozambique Takes on Financial Crimes: Experts Gain Skills to Fight Offshore Structures and Money Laundering

A Major Step Forward for Mozambique’s Anti-Corruption Efforts

In a significant milestone for Mozambique’s anti-corruption efforts, a cross-agency training workshop has equipped experts with the skills to tackle complex financial crimes. The intensive program, conducted by the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), brought together public prosecutors and law enforcement officials from across the country.

The workshop focused on two essential areas:

  • Investigating offshore corporate structures: Participants learned how to identify and unravel complex ownership relationships in offshore shell companies, linking criminal activity with perpetrators and proceeds of crime.
  • Obtaining information and evidence from abroad through mutual legal assistance (MLA): Experts gained valuable skills in navigating language barriers, differences in legal systems, and identifying relevant contact persons to facilitate international cooperation.

Overcoming Challenges: A Key Takeaway

Mozambique’s Asset Recovery Office Director Amélia Machava highlighted the challenges of obtaining international cooperation through MLA, including:

  • Language barriers
  • Differences in legal systems
  • Difficulty in identifying relevant contact persons

However, she emphasized that the training “opened up more horizons” for investigating offshore companies and trust funds, which are not known under Mozambican law.

Rapid Non-Formal Ways to Collect Data: A Valuable Toolkit

The workshop provided participants with a valuable toolkit to overcome common challenges in transnational investigations. As one participant noted, the training “allowed us to see more possibilities” in tackling complex financial crimes.

Enhanced Expertise: Tackling Mozambique’s Most Pressing Financial Crimes

With this enhanced expertise, Mozambique’s anti-corruption practitioners are now better equipped to tackle the country’s most pressing financial crimes, including money laundering and corruption cases that have plagued the nation for years. The success of this workshop serves as a model for other countries facing similar challenges, demonstrating the importance of international cooperation and training in the fight against financial crime.