The EULEX mission organised a training workshop on strengthening criminal investigation capacities against corruption for local criminal justice partners.

The focus of the workshop that was held last week was to enhance the capacity of local prosecutors to work jointly with the police and other law enforcement agencies in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë. The workshop will equip the local prosecutors and Criminal Justice partners based in the north of Kosovo (Mitrovica/Mitrovicë) with the skills and strategies to support the management of corruption and related crime cases.

“Building on the work of EULEX Prosecution Office in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë within the mission mandate, this project aims to strengthen the role of criminal justice partners in the region to work together in combating corruption and related crimes ensuring the focus on case ownership, robust case management and full compliance with the law in all stages of criminal investigations”, said Oladele Osinuga, EULEX International Legal Officer for the Basic Prosecution Office Mitrovica/Mitrovicë and Project Manager of the training.

Over the course of the day participants took part in an introductory session, an interactive discussion on anti-corruption strategies, working-group presentations and then finished with a closing session to give feedback. 

“Today has been a beneficial workshop and opportunity to discuss the problems of corruption and organised crime and how to integrate strategies in the north of Kosovo. The financial service have a better insight and gained experience that can be used in all future work. Overall, all units dealing with the rule of law benefit from the education in investigating and preventing corruption as well as organised crime”, said Katrina Katarina Ađančić, Investigator with the Tax Administration of Kosovo Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Regional Office.

The strategies learnt at the workshop can be integrated into the implementation plans of Criminal Justice Service partners in the Basic Prosecution Office, Kosovo Police Specialist Units, Tax Administration, Customs, Financial Intelligence Unit, Anti-Corruption Agency and the Municipalities of Vushtrii/Vučitrn and Mitrovica/Mitrovicë.

“Today has been successful for law enforcement agencies where we have had the chance to exchange information and discuss an example case study related to Kosovo. We thank EULEX for this opportunity and will take use this experience in our work with the various law enforcement agencies that operate in Kosovo”, said Sergeant Senad Zejnullahu, Investigator with the Economic, Financial and Corruption Crimes Unit of Kosovo Police, Mitrovica/Mitrovicë.

The workshop is part of an overall contribution to the ongoing dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade in the area of judicial integration, case prioritization and cooperation in sensitive cases.