Leaders of law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities met at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Vilnius

A high-level meeting of law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities took place in the margins of the 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference IACC 2024 (18-21 June 2024, Vilnius, Lithuania), focusing on topic of combatting high-level corruption. The event, co-chaired by Mr Linas Pernavas, Director of the Special Investigation Service (STT) of the Republic of Lithuania and the President of EPAC/EACN network, and Mrs Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol, drew leaders and senior officials from national and international law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities.

Heads and senior representatives of law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities from Argentina, Canada, Estonia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Kosovo, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Seychelles, South Africa, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Zambia, as well as from Interpol, Europol, Eurojust, European Public Prosecutor’s Office and EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) focused on these main questions:

• High-level corruption and its impact on current global and regional developments
• Skills, resources and strategies needed to detect well-hidden, sophisticated schemes of high-level corruption and related financial flows
• Challenges in bringing to justice corrupt top-level officials/business and how to address them
• Combining efforts of law enforcement, preventive, administrative authorities, as well as civil society and private sector

Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle highlighted that “money laundering, criminal finances and corruption are as pervasive and disruptive for society as they are essential for criminals. The ability to launder illicit proceeds on an industrial scale, to move them through a web of criminal financial brokers, and to corrupt the relevant actors, has become indispensable for modern organised crime. This is not something one police force or country can change by itself; we must strengthen existing cooperation and partnerships, and develop new approaches.”

STT’s Director Linas Pernavas said that “we had an excellent opportunity to touch some of the most pressing issues and share ideas on a global level on the challenges that law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities face when combatting high-level corruption. Among other, we recognised the critical importance of ensuring sufficient independence of investigative, prosecuting and judicial authorities, enhancing skills, allocating resources, and implementing effective strategies to detect well-hidden, sophisticated schemes of high-level corruption and associated financial flows. The insights and ideas, as well as new connections, will assist each of us in our everyday work and bring extra impetus to combat corruption”.

The meeting resulted in the adoption of a joint statement, symbolizing the united commitment to combatting high-level corruption and upholding the rule of law, as well as calling all national and international law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities to work together to hold accountable those who engage in corrupt practices at the highest levels of power.