International cooperation is extremely important in fighting corruption - Oleksandr Skomarov
Corruption is not limited to the borders of Ukraine: criminals are increasingly using foreign companies to launder embezzled funds. Thanks to international cooperation, NABU and SAPO investigate these facts and bring culprits to justice. This was stated by the Deputy Head of the Main Detective Department, Oleksandr Skomarov, during the conference "Cooperation with the OECD and new horizons for the Ukrainian anti-corruption agenda."
"Corruption is increasingly becoming international, and those involved in cases in Ukraine are committing more crimes on the territory of other states. Therefore, it is impossible to do without quick and effective interaction with fellow law enforcement officers abroad," he said.
According to Oleksandr Skomarov, the investigation of the so-called "Ukravtodor" case became possible only thanks to cooperation with the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (Poland) and the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.
"The exchange of information was carried out promptly, the investigative actions made it possible to obtain proper and admissible evidence. All this helped a lot in the investigation," Oleksandr Skomarov stressed.
The Head of the Central Anti-corruption Bureau of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Stróżny, noted the high efficiency of international investigative teams.
"Our cooperation in the mentioned case clearly demonstrates considerable potential in probing corruption, fraud, money laundering, etc. We hope for even deeper cooperation with Ukraine and NABU," he said.
The conference discussed Ukraine's participation in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions and interagency cooperation, as well as advantages and challenges faced by the law enforcement.
"In order to strengthen transnational cooperation, the country must adhere to international standards, in particular those specified in the OECP and UN conventions. When a state complies with the provisions of the documents, other countries know they can trust foreign law enforcement agencies and that the requested data is intended to establish the facts necessary for the investigation, and not political motives," said Mary Butler, Chief of the International Unit at the US Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
For reference
The conference took place on Aug. 30, 2022 in Kyiv against the backdrop of strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the OECD and Ukraine's aspiration to become an OECD member state.
The OECD is an international organization that unites 37 states worldwide, most of which are countries with a high income of citizens and a high index of human development. The goal of the OECD is to create better solutions for public policy that will promote economic development, equal opportunities and well-being for all.
