Capacity Building and Corruption Identification Guidelines

Promote detection of corruption offences and imposition of criminal liability through targeted education and by preparing corruption identification guidelines for all authorities involved in the process of combatting crime.

Completion Status:
Fulfilled

Commitment filtering:

Specific: ✔ yes
Measurable: ✔ yes

Based on the language of the commitment, it is unclear (1) what is meant by “targeted education” and (2) which specific authorities involved in combatting crime are referred to. Based on further desk research, the following measurable actions from the National Anti-Corruption Strategy[1] can be identified in relation to this commitment:

1. Targeted education: Give specialised, and when necessary, joint training sessions on corruption to special prosecutors, police officers, the staff at courts of law and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

2. Preparing corruption identification guidelines for all authorities involved in the process of combatting crime (meaning the authorities from the previous commitment: special prosecutors, police officers, the staff at courts of law and the Financial Intelligence Unit).

[1] Finnish government, Government Resolution on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023, https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/163398/VN_2021_68.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Last updated: 30 June 2022
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Evaluation:

Background Information:

This commitment relates directly to the recommendations of the 2017 OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery report, which emphasise Finland’s need to further develop the ability to detect bribery of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) officials, accountants, auditors, and civil servants.1 It was later operationalised in the National Action Plan with the following action points:

 

Monitoring:

8.1 Targeted education: Give specialised, and when necessary, joint training sessions, on corruption to special prosecutors, police officers, staff at the courts of law and the Financial Intelligence Unit. Fulfilled

The Ministry of Justice provided a list of training provided to law enforcement, prosecutors, court staff and FIUs included in Annex 6.

8.2 Preparing corruption identification guidelines for all authorities involved in the process of combatting crime (special prosecutors, police officers, staff at the courts of law and the Financial Intelligence Unit). Fulfilled

Implementation of the National Strategy for Tackling the Shadow Economy and Economic Crime for 2016–2020 included a corruption-related priority project. Its purpose was to promote the detection of corruption offences and impose criminal liability through targeted education by preparing corruption identification guidelines for all authorities involved in combatting crime. These guidelines provide detailed information on the distinct roles of prosecutors, the police, courts and FIUs in corruption investigation and prevention, among other actors such as customs and tax authorities.2

 

Recommendations
  • Develop training materials for new forms of corruption. This includes corruption cases that use new technologies, such as digital exchange of valuable goods and services, or have other high-risk elements, such as cross-border transactions requiring international investigation tools and databases, including foreign information registers.
  • Provide up-to-date investigative tools and resources, such as digital data analytics and fintech tools, or new registries set to identify beneficial owners, so that law enforcement authorities can use the available material to identify and investigate corruption cases.
  • Conduct research and evaluations to identify upcoming risk scenarios and new tools to detect corruption.
  • Provide up-to-date training material considering recent policy developments, such as the introduction of beneficial ownership registers in the EU.
  • Collaborate with the private sector, as the gatekeepers of money laundering, for investigating and detecting corruption. Organise joint training exercises between private-sector compliance personnel and law enforcement personnel.3

Sources:
  1. OECD Implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention Phase 4 Report: Finland
    30 Jun 2022
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  2. Ministry of Justice Finland A Guide to Improving the Prevention, Identification and Detection of Corruption
    30 Jun 2022
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  3. European Commission Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing – EU Rules on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
    30 Jun 2022
    ↩