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ENSURING SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS
(THE EU-PERSPECTIVE/ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST)
Michèle ConinsxVice-President Eurojust
National Member for BE, Deputy Prosecutor GeneralLiverpool, March 4th 2008
EUROJUST ?27 EU PROSECUTORS / JUDGES
More Effective Co-ordination & Co-operation
AIMSAIMS
Improve Improve co-operationco-operation between Competent between Competent Authorities in Member StatesAuthorities in Member States
Bring better Bring better co-ordinationco-ordination of cross-border of cross-border investigations and prosecutionsinvestigations and prosecutions
Exchange of informationExchange of information To make recommendations to change lawsTo make recommendations to change laws
to improve MLA & Extradition arrangementsto improve MLA & Extradition arrangements
JUDICIAL CO ORDINATION OFFERS FORUMFOR:FOR: Discussion about Discussion about admissibility of evidenceadmissibility of evidence Verification of opportunity to launch Verification of opportunity to launch
simultaneous evidence gatheringsimultaneous evidence gathering Discussion about appropriate or Discussion about appropriate or best best
jurisdictionjurisdiction Verification of opportunity to establish a Verification of opportunity to establish a JITJIT Information of practitioners about Information of practitioners about best best
channels / instruments channels / instruments of the obtainment of of the obtainment of evidenceevidence
2 CASE ILLUSTRATIONS
- OPERATION KOALA- OPERATION SKANDERBEG
OPERATION KOALA• AIM
to present Eurojust’s involvement and added value in a case concerning child abuse on the internet
• STRUCTURE- Background- Coordination meetings at Eurojust- Obstacles encountered- Joint press release and Results- Future of the case
BACKGROUND• Video tape containing child pornographic
material linked to Belgium• Persons involved:
- Belgian father abused his 2 daughters- Italian national was photographer & video producer(had a studio in Ukraine and owned a website for child pornographic purposes)- US citizens were customers/clients- Many customers through internet
Investigations started in Belgium and Italy
COORDINATION MEETINGS AT EUROJUST IN CLOSE COLLABORATION
WITH EUROPOL• 25 October 2006• 25 April 2007• 29 May 2007• 5 November 2007: coordination meeting
& joint press releaseCoordination of investigationsSimultaneous, coordinated actions in all countries involvedExchange of information: gathering of sufficient information for prosecution
COORDINATION MEETINGS AT EUROJUST
• MAIN DECISIONS:- Time frame for investigations/actions
May ’07 – Sept. ’07 - Identification of targets - Arrests- Interrogations of suspects- Seizures
- Common media strategy
OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED• Deadline for finalising the common actions
had to be postponed• Some countries did not finish their
investigations and therefore could not be in the joint press release
• Some countries did not want to be in the joint press release
• Leakages to the media before joint press conference
• Information received by EJ & EP was not always coinciding
JOINT PRESS RELEASE AND RESULTS
• Newspapers, radio, TV from at least 15 different countries + press agenciesfollowing 3 days worldwide coverage of the case
• 16 countries provided results to the press:- 2500 targets identified- 93 arrests until November 5th- Thousands of videos and photos found- Hundreds of computers seized
OPERATION SKANDERBEG• FACTS
- Transnational Albanian criminal network- Operating in BE, DE, FR, IT, LU, AT, NL, UK- Involved in drug trafficking, trafficking in
human beings, prostitution, money laundering,
trafficking in illegal arms and stolen vehicles,
organised burglaries
• ACTIONS - Facilitation of execution of letters of request (LOR)- 2 coordination meetings:
- exchange of information discovering of central role of certain persons in drug traffic- close involvement of Europol coordinated approach police investigations & prosecutions- simultaneous actions in 6 countries
- Joint EJ – EP press release
• OUTCOME- Destabilisation of the group in BE- Decrease of organised thefts & cocaine seizures at
border- Arrests- Seizures of drugs, weapons, money, stolen objects
ADDED VALUE OF EUROJUST• Exchange of information/LOR’s: quick, time
saving• Coordinating actions in several countries• International cooperation (multilateral):
forum bringing together all involved parties (prosecutors, police authorities, investigators, Europol,…)
• Better overview/more information for prosecution• Common media strategy:
avoid jeopardising ongoing investigations
Michèle ConinsxVice-President Belgian National Member EUROJUST
Tel 00 31 70 412 51 20Fax 00 31 70 412 51 [email protected]
Maanweg 174NL - 2516 AB The HagueThe Netherlandswww.eurojust.europa.eu