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Description
The project will strengthen the systems for combating corruption, tracing, seizing and forfeiting proceeds of crime, which is a crucial step towards the implementation of Bulgaria''s priority of preventing and combating organized crime and corruption, reinstating justice and compensating the victims of crime. The project will enhance the capacities of staff of the CCCIAF to conduct anti-corruption investigations and to trace criminal assets, in particular in cross-border cases; it will develop the international counterpart networks available to the CCCIAF to pursue confiscations abroad and participate in joint investigative teams. It will also allow the CCCIAF to effectively cooperate bilaterally with foreign authorities by forfeiting assets on behalf of their counterparts. Furthermore, the project will improve the knowledge and skills of CCCIAF staff in core areas of legal aspects and enhance the IT infrastructure of the Commission.
The project will include, inter alia, the following main activities:
- Establish a Regional Platform on Asset recovery organized in Bulgaria with guest countries predominantly from the Southeastern Europe/Balkan region. Networking, knowledge sharing, discussions on dealing with cross-border asset recovery cases to promote and expand co-operation among the countries in this aspect;
- Specialized trainings and seminars for CCCIAF inspectors on Legal Entities Analysis/Dissection, Financial investigations/ asset tracing techniques and typologies, Legal matters like civil, commercial and property law, as well as civil litigation, open source intelligence data acquisition and software applications for data analysis;
- Develop specifically designated curriculum in cooperation with the Bulgarian universities;
- Certified training;
- Workshops with domestic institutions on current challenges and setbacks hindering co-operation;
- Certified trainings courses on effective management of forfeited/seized assets, provided by foreign experts.
Summary of project results
Bulgaria is currently facing serious challenges related to the implementation of measures aimed at fighting corruption and economic crime. Economic and organized crime, corruption and money laundering are as a whole serious problems for the countries of South-Eastern Europe and the region. These problems reflect on public trust in the rule of law and institutions, ultimately weakening civil society, the protection of human rights and opportunities for economic development. This situation necessitated a package of activities aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Commission for illegal assets forfeiture (CIAF) and of the Commission against corruption (CAC) by providing the necessary technical resources for conducting anti-corruption activities, exchanging experience and best practices in the field of management and recovery of seized assets, as well as interaction and cooperation between similar international structures for the purpose of knowledge and experience transfer.
Within the approved funding, specialized trainings for the exchange of experience and best practices for the effective management of seized assets were planned as well as trainings on the recovery of assets acquired from criminal activity and on the use of special intelligence means to combat corruption. Strengthening the capacity of the Bulgarian authorities regarding the quality in the management and recovery of seized assets was highlighted as a main goal under Outcome 4, therefore special attention was paid to activities related to the technical support of the Project Promoter. The establishment of a specialized system for seized and confiscated property within the project would allow the joint entry of data and information on seized property in real-time and would significantly facilitate the daily work of employees of the Project Promotor.
The project increased the capacity of the Commission for illegal assets forfeiture''s (CIAF) and of the Commission against corruption''s (CAC) employees to conduct anti corruption investigations and to track assets from criminal activity in line with Outcome 4.
The capacity of employees and inspectors of the Commission against corruption (CAC), of the Commission for illegal assets forfeiture (CIAF) to conduct anti-corruption investigations and to track assets from criminal activity, in particular in cross-border cases was enhanced as a main goal of the project. The trainings for recovery of assets acquired through criminal activity as well as the training for use of special intelligence means reached 177 employees and inspectors of CAC, CIAF as well as representatives of law enforcement bodies, prosecutors and judges. This made a significant contribution to achieving output 4.4.
Secondly, exchange of experience and good practices that were made within the project as well as the regional platform for asset recovery that was established directly enhanced the effective management of secured and seized assets as a one of the main goals of the project. Knowledge exchange and creating a working network by holding discussions regarding handling cross-border cases of asset recovery by encouraging and expanding cooperation between countries were identified by the participating officials as some of the most valuable aspects of the project (Кръгла маса на тема „Електронни платформи за управление на обезпечени и конфискувани активи“).
All the necessary IT equipment for the needs of Project Promoter as well as the additional network encryption components – TEMPEST, other hardware devices, server and network equipment and TETRA equipment were delivered and put into exploitation. Thus, the communication and technical capabilities of the Project Promoter were facilitated and improved.
The specialized information system for the secured and confiscated assets in safekeeping at the CIAF that was developed within output 4.5. allows joint input of data and information about the secured property in real time. The system greatly facilitates the work of CIAF officials and makes the interaction process much more efficient.