Tunisia
News and blog
Tunisia increases capacity to investigate money laundering through cryptocurrencies
Officials from Tunisia’s Financial Analysis Commission TFAC , National Guard, and Customs and Economic Brigade are the latest to have undertaken our intensive training programme on cryptocurrency and money laundering. Funded by German development agency GIZ as part of a global programme on Combating Illicit Financial Flows, the course was delivered virtually by our International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR training team from 6–9 October. As part of the training, the 21 participants undertook a simulated investigation into a company that was suspected to be defrauding the Tunisian Ministry of Health. It emerged that Bitcoin was being used to launder the proceeds of this crime. Practical presentations at key junctions during the four days helped to provide the participants with the skills needed to move forward in the investigation, including analysing the blockchain, tracing properties that had been purchased with the funds and could be confiscated, and conducting a forensic analysis of the suspects’ computers to find the “private keys” of the unspent bitcoins. Presentation topics included: the basics of cryptocurrency the different blockchains and how they work money laundering techniques red flags asset tracing and recovery The workshop included an extra session on mutual legal assistance and international cooperation. Pre- and post-training test results indicated an overall 81% increase in knowledge. We are delighted that of those who took part in a follow-up survey, 100% rated the course as “excellent” or “very good” and nearly three quarters said it had resulted in a “paradigm shift” in the way they work. As usual in our training courses, bringing representatives of different agencies together encouraged collaboration and networking in addition to skill enhancement. About cryptocurrencies and money laundering Money laundering and terrorist financing activities are increasingly facilitated by cryptocurrencies, which provide criminals with new options for transferring funds peer-to-peer, out of sight and beyond the regulatory reach of authorities. Blockchain, cryptocurrencies and anti-money laundering AML efforts are part of a fast-changing arena, with new tools constantly being developed and upgraded to help law enforcement stay one step ahead of the criminals. More widespread awareness of how cryptocurrencies work could help TFAC Tunisia’s Financial Intelligence Unit and other relevant law enforcement authorities to detect more cases more quickly – and thereby strangle a fast-growing avenue for criminals to both obtain and launder the proceeds of their crimes. Other news The Basel Institute is co-organising the 4th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies with Interpol and Europol. The event will take place virtually over two days on 18–19 November. Learn more.
Compliance benchmarking of Tunisia's state-owned gas and electricity company
The Basel Institute is collaborating with Nestor Advisors on a project to advise on and provide support for the improvement of the compliance management system of the Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz STEG , Tunisia’s state-owned gas and electricity production and distribution company. After interviews with the company, the advisors are completing the first phase of benchmarking STEG’s current compliance programme. The next stage will involve advising on developing a compliance action plan tailored to the needs of the company. The project is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD and is one of four technical support projects to STEG. Having contributed to the OECD’s development of the recently approved Anti-Corruption and Integrity Guidelines for State-Owned Enterprises, this is an exciting mandate for the Basel Institute to advise on their implementation by one of Tunisia’s largest public companies. Photo by Pok Rie from Pexels.
Africa-Europe asset recovery cooperation: high-level meeting in Berlin
Practitioners and policy makers from Africa and Europe met last week in Berlin, Germany, to discuss ways to further accelerate the success rate in recovering stolen assets. The event was organised by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ with support from the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR and GIZ, and brought together representatives from Ethiopia, France, Germany, Jersey, Kenya, Norway, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and the United Kingdom. In brief, key priorities are to shed light on financial transactions, modernise legislation and provide guidance for the return of stolen assets. The opening remarks by Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary, BMZ, and a high-level panel with Prof Mark Pieth President of the Basel Institute on Governance and Mr Akere Muna Member of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa inspired the discussion centred around the fact that asset recovery is a responsibility shared between countries from which assets are stolen and countries through which stolen assets are laundered. Success in recovering stolen assets depends on frank and open dialogue between concerned jurisdictions throughout the asset recovery process. The two-day event sought to facilitate this dialogue with participants by identifying numerous avenues through which they can collaborate further in this work. These included shedding more light on financial transactions, including through beneficial ownership registries, the use of illicit enrichment offences in the criminal context and the use of non-conviction based forfeiture predicated on unexplained wealth within the civil courts. It was highlighted that where these laws are applied, together with the use of deferred prosecution agreements and plea bargains, there should be provision for the restitution of funds to states from which assets have been stolen. Effective tracing, freezing and recovery of assets located overseas requires international co-operation through law enforcement and formal evidence gathering under mutual legal assistance. Increasing the effectiveness of this process through regional networks and the development of informal contacts is key, as is the understanding of different states’ capacities to follow financial transactions through bank registers and beneficial ownership of company registers. Finally, there was wide agreement on the need for guidelines to assist in discussions about the return and end use of stolen assets.
ICAR conducts training workshop in Sicily on mutual legal assistance and misuse of offshore structures for MENA region countries
In conjunction with the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences ISISC , ICAR conducted a 5-day training workshop on mutual legal assistance and misuse of offshore structures for countries of the MENA region in Syracuse, Sicily during the period 3-7 November 2014. The aim of the workshop was to enhance the participants' capacity to formulate proper Mutual Legal Assistance requests in order to more effectively follow leads for crucial information and obtain all critical foreign evidence, and to unravel corporate and trust entities. The workshop brought together representatives from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Tunisia, and included investigative judges, prosecutors, investigators and Financial Intelligence Unit FIU representatives from each country. It provided an important opportunity for regional networking in the interest of fighting transnational corruption and tracing stolen assets. The workshop furthermore incorporated presentations on offshore corporations, trusts, ease of incorporation, secrecy, layering of trust and shell companies, ability to identify beneficial ownership and offshore banking. Experts from Switzerland Rudolf Wyss, former Deputy-Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Justice and currently a Senior Asset Recovery Consultant with ICAR and the United Kingdom Carolyne Lamptey, a senior lawyer in the UK Crown Prosecution Service and currently Regional Asset Recovery Advisor to the British Embassy in Cairo participated in the workshop by giving presentations on mechanisms for freezing and confiscating assets in their respective jurisdictions. Counsellor Hany Fathy Georgy, a Senior Appellate Judge and member of the International Co-operation Department of the Ministry of Justice in Egypt, also shared his experience on the “General Principles of Mutual Legal Assistance and the Egyptian Experience” . Mr Abdul Hafiz Mansour, Secretary of the Special Investigation Commission SIC in Lebanon, gave a presentation on the “ Initiation of Asset Recovery Process: Key Considerations ” which focused on a case scenario involving asset recovery and co-operation between Lebanon and Tunisia.