FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Here are the international missions that are assisting SPAK...
Internationals are playing a very important role in the fight against corruption. The temporary withdrawal of US experts created uncertainty and difficulties in the Special Prosecutor's Office and other law enforcement agencies. But this lasted less than 2 months. The experts returned and the work continues without problems.
But what role do they have in SPAK? The Special Prosecution Office, in its 2024 annual report, has dedicated a chapter to international assistance, where it announces that there is great international support. It shows the assistance provided by the two American missions OPDAT and ICITAP, as well as the European Union and other allied countries. According to the report, the EU has a very important role in SPAK.
" Even during 2024, the Special Prosecution Office continued to be assisted in its work by US-supported programs aimed at improving Albania's criminal justice and law enforcement sector — the Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training Program (OPDAT) and the International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), representatives of which are physically located in the premises of this prosecution office ," SPAK announced.
Excerpt from the SPAK report
-The OPDAT mission has been involved in reviewing criminal justice legislation, training prosecutors, judges, police officers, providing equipment to law enforcement officers, and providing technical assistance aimed at establishing more effective law enforcement structures. This mission, through its Permanent Legal Advisors, has, since its inception, provided expertise and case-based assistance to prosecutors in particular, but also to the justice system more broadly, and in assisting the prosecution's international relations, with the aim of assisting it in its fight against international crime, corruption, and terrorism.
-The International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program ICITAP is a program that aims to develop and enhance law enforcement capacities in the fight against corruption and organized crime. ICITAP has also supported the National Bureau of Investigation during 2024 by organizing a series of specialized trainings to improve investigative capacities, as well as supporting the entire structure of the Special Prosecution Office, with logistical means, electronic equipment, software, information systems, etc.
-The EU4FOCAL project, funded by the European Union, within the framework of the IPA 2020 assistance program, “Fighting Organized Crime in Albania through Criminal and Financial Investigation”, continues to support SPAK for 2024. This project is involved in drafting a manual, with the aim of updating data on money laundering and confiscation of criminal assets. To achieve this objective, a working group has been created with prosecutors from the General Prosecutor's Office, SPAK, as well as foreign experts, who have carried out a number of different activities.
-The EU4LEA project is an EU-funded technical assistance project with an opportunity to provide equipment, designed to support and assist the main Albanian law enforcement agencies, in particular the Albanian State Police, the Ministry of Interior, the Special Prosecution Office and the BKH, the General Prosecution Office, including those of General Jurisdiction, in achieving their objectives and aligning their performance with the best EU standards. The overall objective of the EU4LEA project is to contribute to strengthening law enforcement in Albania. The specific objectives of the EU4LEA project are:
1. Improving the performance of the Albanian State Police (ASP), SPAK, the General Prosecutor's Office and relevant agencies in the fight against organized crime/serious crime, high-level corruption and environmental crime.
2 Improving Integrated National Border Management.
To meet the set objectives, the project focused on both the central and local levels. The project designed and implemented tailored training, including on-the-job training and capacity development assistance, with the objective of strengthening cooperation between the police, prosecutors, local governments and other stakeholders.
Also, various types of activities have been carried out, advisory support both technical and strategic, legal assessments/analysis, compilation of relevant EU acquis, a wide range of trainings/seminars, practical simulation exercises at central and local level, study visits to EU agencies/EU member states, review/monitoring of criminal cases, field visits, etc.
-EU4FAST Project (Support to Prevent and Combat Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings in the Western Balkans).
The aim of this project is to improve the conditions for preventing and combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking in the Western Balkans.
This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Western Balkan law enforcement and judicial authorities to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, the capacity of Western Balkan law enforcement actors to cooperate with Member States and non-EU law enforcement actors in activities related to migrant smuggling and human trafficking, and strengthen the capacity of Western Balkan border authorities to prevent and combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking in accordance with EU standards and human rights.
-WBCJ Western Balkan Criminal Justice Project
Eurojust has been providing operational support and assistance to EU Member States for the past two decades, with a particular focus on facilitating judicial cooperation. The Western Balkans Criminal Justice (WBCJ) project was developed to extend this operational support to Western Balkan partners, even in cases where no EU country is directly involved.
The aim of the WBCJ Project is to strengthen cooperation within the Western Balkans and between the region and the European Union in the fight against organised crime and terrorism, using modern tools and instruments. Equipping Western Balkan partners with EU judicial cooperation tools and working methods - such as coordination meetings, coordination centres and Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) - is essential for the successful outcome of cross-border investigations.
The project provides support and assistance with expertise and best practices from Eurojust and EU Member States on how to use tools and instruments for judicial cooperation, direct funding for operational meetings (coordination meetings, coordination centres) and investigative activities between Western Balkan partners, both within and outside the Western Balkans, provides modern equipment, such as secure mobile phones and laptops, as well as translation services.
The Dutch MATRA project “Strengthening the SPO” (strengthening the Special Prosecution Office), has as its main goal the provision of recommendations for the strengthening of the Special Prosecution Office in various aspects of its organization and better support functions, increasing the uniformity of work processes, focusing mainly on facilitating the work of prosecutors, through more effective activation of administrative staff, investigators and legal assistants. Within the framework of which a study visit was also conducted with the aim of exchanging experiences regarding the functioning of counterpart prosecution offices and law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands, also suggesting new structural and legal changes or initiatives to achieve this goal. /Pamphlet
Lini një Përgjigje