A group of prosecutors and investigators from the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina visited the European Union Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The strengthened cooperation between these institutions shows their commitment to fighting high-level crime and ultimately bringing criminals to justice, especially in cases of international and cross-border crime.
“We exchanged experiences with colleagues and improved cooperation based on the cooperation agreement between the EPPO and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, which was signed in November 2023 by the Chief European Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi and the Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH Milanko Kajganić. This will ensure the effectiveness of investigations and the prosecution of certain criminal offenses in the area of finance, including those affecting the EU budget,” said the Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH Mladen Furtula.
The meeting was organized as part of the EU4Justice project, phase II, which is implemented with the financial support of the European Union with the aim of harmonizing the judicial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina with European standards.
The participants discussed the cooperation between the EPPO and competent authorities from non-EU countries. The sharing of examples from practice in the field of criminal investigations as well as the experiences gained were also part of the meeting. There was a particular emphasis on cases related to money laundering investigations and investigations involving the confiscation of assets obtained through financial crime: best practices, trends and links to organized crime groups.
“The project will continue to support judicial institutions in BiH to strengthen their capacities and improve the country’s response to organized crime and corruption,” said Mika Aalto, head of the component within the EU4Justice project that assists the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH.
The EPPO, as an independent Public Prosecutor’s Office of the European Union, is responsible for investigation, prosecution and sentencing in cases in which criminal offenses against the financial interests of the EU are determined, the EU4Justice project announced.
