UNODC, South Africa NPA and Lesotho DCEO collaborate to Enhance Financial Crime Prosecution and Investigation Skills

<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #888888;">Participants from the Lesotho Mounted Police, Lesotho Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences, Botswana Police, Botswana Unified Revenue Services, Botswana Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lesotho Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and Lesotho Financial Intelligence Unit pictured with trainers from the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa.</span></div>

Participants from the Lesotho Mounted Police, Lesotho Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences, Botswana Police, Botswana Unified Revenue Services, Botswana Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lesotho Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and Lesotho Financial Intelligence Unit pictured with trainers from the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa.

Maseru, Lesotho – From June 24 to 27, 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa and the Lesotho Directorate of Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO), hosted two critical workshops aimed at bolstering the capabilities of financial crime investigators and prosecutors. These workshops were held by virtue of Lesotho’s membership in the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of Southern Africa (ARINSA). Participants from various institutions, including the Lesotho Mounted Police, Lesotho Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences, Botswana Police, Botswana Unified Revenue Services, Botswana Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lesotho Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and Lesotho Financial Intelligence Unit, attended the workshops.

The two workshops, held within the context of the Investigator Placement Programme (IPP) and the Prosecutor Placement Programme (PPP), focused on providing specialized training to enhance skills in combating financial crimes and assets.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Advocate Knorx Mollele, Director General of the DCEO, expressed gratitude to ARINSA and UNODC for organizing the workshops in a short period. He remarked, "These workshops reflect the much-needed collaboration among agencies, countries, and nations. We all know the severe impact of corruption and transnational organized crime on our State's ability to render essential services to our communities, especially the vulnerable, including women and children who might not have the financial means to secure those services on their own."

He added, "Lesotho, as a signatory of the UN Convention against Corruption[1] and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime[2], is indeed enjoined to implement a wide range of measures to prevent and combat corruption. The United Nations Convention against Corruption, among other conventions, calls for the capacitation of law enforcement and oversight bodies to ensure that necessary steps are taken to fight and prevent corruption. It is crucial to recognize that perhaps corruption cannot be won or fought by us alone."

The PPP was delivered to provide comprehensive training for prosecutors on asset recovery and related legal frameworks. The program sought to enhance the skills of prosecutors in handling asset recovery cases, understanding international obligations, and navigating human rights issues within the context of asset recovery. Topics discussed included asset recovery rationale, international obligations, human rights issues, national legislation on asset recovery, civil proceedings, both conviction and non-conviction-based forfeiture, ethical considerations, beneficial ownership, international cooperation, and the management of confiscated, recovered, and forfeited assets.

The IPP aimed to improve financial investigation skills, better equipping investigators to conduct thorough investigations and trace assets. Participants also gained an enhanced understanding of money laundering techniques and effective investigative responses. The program emphasized the effective use of various sources of financial information and strengthened the understanding of international cooperation in financial investigations. Additionally, the IPP provided practical skills in evidence collation, report writing, and legal documentation, along with a better understanding of the legal framework related to asset recovery and financial investigations, preparing investigators for legal proceedings and execution orders.

These training programs were supported through the generous contributions of the United States State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and facilitated by UNODC. They were delivered by senior prosecutors and financial investigators from the South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). The workshops, attended by participants from Botswana and Lesotho as part of these countries’ membership in the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of Southern Africa (ARINSA), highlight the importance of peer-to-peer, regional and South-South cooperation.

Through these initiatives, UNODC and its partners continue to strengthen the global fight against financial crimes and money laundering, enhancing the skills and knowledge of those on the front lines of this critical battle.

United Nations

UNODC Regional Office for Southern Africa

UNODC, South Africa NPA and Lesotho DCEO collaborate to Enhance Financial Crime Prosecution and Investigation Skills

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