Timely and professional conduct of financial investigations is crucial for combating organized crime, but also for returning illegally acquired property to the legal system, according to the training organized for judges and state prosecutors.
A two-day training for judges and state prosecutors on the topic "Financial Investigation and Investigation, Forensic Accounting and Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime" was organized by the Judicial and State Prosecutor's Training Center and the AIRE Center, with the support of the United Kingdom Government and the British Embassy in Podgorica.
As announced by the AIRE Center, the training brought together relevant representatives of the prosecution, police, and the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, with the aim of improving capacities for the efficient conduct of financial investigations and the fight against organized crime.
The Director of the Secretariat of the Judicial and Public Prosecutor's Training Center, Maša Adžić, emphasized that the training represents a continuation of their efforts to ensure continuous education of judicial officials in line with modern challenges.
"Timely and professional conduct of financial investigations is crucial for combating organized crime, but also for returning illegally acquired property to the legal system," said Adžić.
The AIRE Center stated that the training participants discussed current prosecutorial practice, challenges in implementing financial investigation orders, temporary and permanent seizure of property, as well as cooperation with international institutions.
"Particular focus was on the use of cryptocurrencies in criminal activities and advanced methods of concealing traces of transactions," the statement said.
Stanoje Rnić, director of Archibald Intelligence, a company specializing in cyber investigations, said that sophisticated attempts to cover up traces are increasingly being encountered in the field.
"The use of crypto "bridge" services, "mixers" and decentralized platforms requires investigative authorities to constantly upgrade their knowledge and cooperate with specialized institutions," said Rnić.
The statement states that financial investigations, although often conducted away from the public eye, play a key role in recovering money from citizens and the state, through the seizure of assets acquired through crime.
"When institutions successfully track money flows, freeze accounts, or seize apartments, vehicles, and other assets that originate from corrupt and criminal activities, it has a direct effect on society - it restores trust in the judiciary and sends a clear message that crime does not pay," the statement said.
AIRE Center Project Manager in Montenegro Đina Popović said that financial investigations are one of the most effective tools in the fight against organized crime, but they require a high degree of coordination between the prosecutor's office, courts, police and other institutions.
"With trainings like this, we contribute to strengthening the system as a whole. We need to know how to track money flows in a time when the practices of criminal groups are changing in line with new technologies," said Popović.
The AIRE Center said that the training was led by Rnić, judicial and financial experts, including judge of the High Court in Podgorica Suzana Mugoša, special prosecutor Miloš Šoškić, and financial analyst of the Special State Prosecutor's Office Dubravka Popović.
"The event concluded with an emphasis on the need to continue specialized training and strengthen inter-institutional cooperation in order to more efficiently prosecute these crimes," the statement said.
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