‘New level of cross-border investigation’: EUAM enhances cooperation between NABU, SAPO, MoIA and Europol

May 26, 2016

On 25 May, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) teamed up with Europol to carry out training on coordination and cooperation in criminal proceedings for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA). Twenty-five detectives, prosecutors and investigators learned more on cooperation opportunities with the international organisation.

 

“Ukrainian law enforcement agencies can bring cross border investigation to the next level by establishing joint investigative teams with the involvement and assistance of Europol and Eurojust,” said EUAM Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor Clemens Mueller. “There is also an operational agreement expected to be signed between Europol and Ukraine, which will allow Ukraine to have enhanced access to information through Europol.”

Criminal intelligence analysis, management tools, cooperation and information exchange with third parties, EU security policy cycle and operational support were among the subjects of the training delivered by Europol senior experts.

 

“Cooperation with Europol is one of the NABU priorities because the success of many criminal proceedings depends on the effective cooperation with international anticorruption and law enforcement agencies,” underlined Artem Sytnyk, the Director of NABU. “I’m thankful to our colleagues in EUAM for their active support with advice, trainings and equipment.”

 

“It is important for newly created Ukrainian structures to know the opportunities and capacities of international cooperation,” said  Pavel Cincar, Europol Senior Adviser. “Ukraine is facing a serious challenge dealing with today’s level of corruption. It will take several years of a very hard work to overcome it. Our Ukrainian colleagues are young and enthusiastic.  But they also have to gain some experience.”  

 

In mid-May, EUAM organised a study visit for NABU to Poland, where NABU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland (CBA), which followed the signing of a EUAM-NABU Memorandum of Understanding earlier this month.