Kuwait
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Follow-up training workshop on Mutual Legal Assistance and Offshore Structures in Kuwait
In 2015, experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery conducted three training workshops in Kuwait City, as part of a one-year multi-component capacity-building programme for the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority KANCOR . Subjects covered in the three workshops included: "Financial investigations and Asset Recovery", “Corruption in Infrastructure Projects and Procurement”, and “Offshore Structures and Mutual Legal Assistance”. The third workshop on Offshore structures and MLA was attended by 25 participants, comprising prosecutors, KANCOR legal professionals, investigators, auditors and engineers, and representatives of the Financial Intelligence Unit and Central Bank of Kuwait. The ICAR team was joined by experts from the United Kingdom in the delivery of the presentations.
Two-fold training workshop for Kuwait in financial investigations and asset recovery, and investigating corruption in infrastructure projects and procurement
At the request of the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority KANCOR , experts from the International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR conducted a series of two back-to-back 5-day training workshops in Kuwait City during mid-May 2015; first, a 5-day training workshop entitled “ Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery ” to enhance local capacity to investigate and prosecute complex including international corruption and money laundering cases and recover stolen assets. This initial workshop was attended by 25 participants, comprising prosecutors, KANCOR legal professionals, investigators, auditors and engineers, and representatives of the State Audit Board and Central Bank of Kuwait. The mix in audience is critical for emphasising the additional importance of creating opportunities for inter-agency networking in the interest of an integrated approach to fighting corruption and money laundering. A second five-day, specialised training module on investigations into corruption in infrastructure projects and procurement was conducted by the ICAR trainers immediately after the initial standard ICAR training workshop. This second course examined procurement crimes in infrastructure construction projects, which is a primary source of corruption income. It covered the types of corruption and fraud schemes common in contracting and procurement such as bribery, collusion, bid rigging, kickbacks and undisclosed financial interests involved in contract award. One of the senior KANCOR officials who attended both workshops indicated that this was the best training he had ever received. In his opinion, the difference lay in the fact that the training did not only involve the telling of stories but required him to do the work himself. He likened the practical exercise to a treasure hunt which was a very valuable method of teaching the participants. He stated that he would forget stories but not the principles he had learned through the use of the practical exercises.
New training programme for the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority
At the request of the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority KACA , ICAR is currently preparing and developing a one-year multi-component capacity building programme in asset recovery and financial investigation for the KACA. In addition to ICAR’s standard five-day training workshop, the programme will also include a specialized training module on investigations into corruption in infrastructure projects and procurement. ICAR trainers conducted an initial on-site scoping mission in mid-March 2015 to engage with relevant authorities and to collect facts and figures for developing the full-fledged training programme. A first training workshop will be delivered in June 2015.