Regional Prosecutors and Judges in Uzbekistan Conduct Parallel Financial Investigations with UNODC support and Explore Opportunities for Evidence Collection on Money Laundering. 

The Law Enforcement Academy of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Academy) is the leading institution in the country for training specialists in the field of anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing (AML/CFT). In cooperation with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the General Prosecutor's Office (Department) and with expert support of the UNODC, the Academy have developed a practical training course on “Money Laundering – Financial investigation, Prosecution, and Court challenges” to expand the Academy’s methodology database.

The training course is a continuation of the work being done by the UNODC and national partners in Uzbekistan to strengthen the capacity of the state agencies in conducting financial investigations, recovering assets, suppressing illicit financial flows and proceeds of crime, and implementing FATF recommendations.

From September 27th to 29th, 2023, a training course was held in Samarkand for representatives (24 male participants) from the territory departments of the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Department, and the judiciary of the Bukhara, Kashkhadariya and Samarkand regions.

During the training course, participants learned about characteristics international criminal law related to money laundering crimes, the complexities of proving the legalization of criminal proceeds, and performed practical exercises to study the application of AML/CFT international standards and practices in Uzbekistan. The course was conducted in the national language.

Mr. Zohid Khatamov, the Head of the Academic Department on Countering Economic Crimes and Legalization of the Criminal Proceeds of the Law Enforcement Academy, expressed the Academy's high interest in the training course and the practical value of the materials, which were developed in accordance with national legislation and considering international practice. International experts presented modern training methods based on the implementation of practical tasks within joint investigation teams consisting of prosecutor, financial investigator and judge. This approach allows for a comprehensive consideration of the issues related to identifying and prosecuting money laundering, taking into account the experience and knowledge of multiple authorities, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of investigations.

Mr. Bekzot Zhumabaev, a representative of the Samarkand Regional Court on Criminal Cases noted the particular interest in a session where judges assessed evidence on money laundering collected by the participants during investigations. While not all cases had a judicial perspective, participants gained experience in properly assessing and presenting evidence in cases involving money laundering.

It is worth noting the participants’ high interest in collecting and evaluating evidence, identifying signs of money laundering from the perspectives of both the judiciary and representatives of the prosecutor's office who support the prosecution in court. The training course significantly improved participants' understanding of money laundering methods and enhanced the interaction between law enforcement officers and court representatives. Additionally, practitioners presented practical cases on money laundering and shared their experience in the field of AML/CFT and financial investigations.

The training course was organized with the expert support of the UNODC Global Program on Counter Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism (GPML) and received financial support from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the US Department of State (INL).