Suggestions on how to make advancements in financial investigations as well as seizures of proceeds of criminal offences and property of illegal origin were identified and discussed within the workshop and presentations to the relevant heads of Macedonian institutions, which were taking place from 4 to 5 October 2018 in Skopje.
Among jointly defined suggestions, for which Macedonia expressed expectations for Slovenia to continue its development support, were:
- To further develop capacities and determine the discrepancies between real income and actual spending of offenders;
- to get acquainted with practices and systems to initiate parallel financial investigations together with the crime investigations;
- to obtain assistance on how to plan and determine outcome indicators such as numbers of initiated financial investigations and to define what resources are needed to achieve planned results;
- to get support to familiarise the personnel and maximise their contribution to the strategic goals;
- and to analyse and learn from cases and court rulings to effectively built prosecution cases, which will be result in the seizure of proceeds of crime as well as property of illegal origin.
The need to increase awareness and importance of supporting initiatives to conduct financial investigations and implementation of current Macedonian legislation to initiate the procedures regarding extended confiscation, was identified. In addition, the necessity to continue with strengthening inter-sectoral cooperation was emphasized.
The fact that heads of nearly all institutions in Republic of Macedonia, who are involved in financial investigations or who contribute to financial investigations with their data, responded and participated in the workshop gives a positive impetus for further development of the development cooperation in the area.
The joint message of the Ministry of Interior, Public Prosecutor’s Office, Financial Police Administration, Public Revenue Office, Customs Administration, Financial Intelligence Office, Central Register, Health Insurance Fund, Civilian Aviation Agency and Central Securities Depository was they want to continue to work with Slovenia on the development of the Macedonian system of financial investigations and seizures of property with illegal origin since “such crimes do not and should not pay off”.
This two-year project (2017-2018) is part of program activities implemented in the cooperation with the State Prosecution Office for Organized Crime and Corruption and Ministry of Interior/ Police of the Republic of Slovenia and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.