Financial Crime World

San Marino’s Fight Against Organized Crime

Introduction

San Marino, a small European country, is facing significant challenges in its fight against organized crime despite its well-established democratic process. This article examines the key challenges faced by San Marino in combating organized crime and highlights the progress made in recent years.

Key Challenges

San Marino’s efforts to combat organized crime are hindered by several key challenges:

Lack of Anti-Corruption Body

  • San Marino does not have an independent anti-corruption body, which has raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary.
  • The absence of such a body makes it difficult to investigate and prosecute corruption cases effectively.

Insufficient Scrutiny

  • State bodies are still insufficiently scrutinized, and the Council of Europe has called for increased access to public information regarding the judiciary.
  • This lack of transparency undermines trust in the government and hinders efforts to combat organized crime.

Limited Laws Against Organized Crime

  • San Marino has few laws that specifically criminalize organized crime-related activities.
  • The absence of robust anti-organized crime legislation makes it challenging for law enforcement agencies to prosecute cases effectively.

Progress

Despite these challenges, San Marino has made progress in combating organized crime:

Bilateral Agreement with Italy

  • In 2015, San Marino signed a bilateral agreement with Italy aimed at defending and preserving order and citizens’ safety.
  • This agreement has strengthened cooperation between the two countries in combating organized crime.

Improved Anti-Money Laundering Laws

  • The country has sought to improve its anti-money laundering laws and policies in recent years.
  • These efforts have helped to reduce the risk of money laundering and other financial crimes.

Challenges

San Marino still faces several challenges in its fight against organized crime:

Vulnerability to Money Laundering

  • San Marino’s weak banking sector makes the country vulnerable to money laundering.
  • The lack of robust anti-money laundering measures puts the country at risk of being exploited by organized crime groups.

Limited Intelligence Apparatus

  • There is no evidence of a proper intelligence apparatus in the country.
  • This hinders law enforcement agencies’ ability to gather and analyze information on organized crime groups.

Corruption Risks

  • The judiciary appears vulnerable to political interference, and accountability has been raised as an issue.
  • Corruption risks undermine trust in the government and make it challenging to combat organized crime effectively.

Support System

San Marino’s support system for combating organized crime is limited:

Lack of Victim- or Witness-Support Programmes

  • San Marino does not have substantial victim- or witness-support programmes.
  • This makes it difficult for victims of organized crime to access support and protection.

Non-State Actors’ Role

  • Non-state actors do not play a big role in combating criminal activities due to the lack of organized crime groups in the country.
  • This highlights the need for more effective coordination between government agencies and civil society organizations to combat organized crime.