US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HOLDS CONFERENCE ON "SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUES FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF CORRUPTION"
armradio.am
09.12.2008 11:12
The United States Department of Justice held a conference on
"Successful Techniques for the Investigation and Prosecution
of Corruption" in Yerevan, Armenia, on December 8-9, 2008. Three
U.S. prosecutors and three high-ranking U.S. police chiefs participated
– Prosecutor Steven Kessler (US Embassy, Yerevan), Prosecutor Kevin
Richardson (Brooklyn, New York), Prosecutor Karen Bennett (Nassau
County, New York), Police Chief Charles Campisi (New York City Police
Department); Chief Charles Ribando (Nassau County, New York), and
Deputy Chief Rick Armstrong (Kansas City, Kansas).
They were joined by thirty Armenian prosecutors, ten investigators from
the special investigative service, ten police investigators, two NSS
officials, two officials of the tax service, two customs officials,
the Armenian representative to GRECO, and the presidential aide on
corruption issues.
The American and Armenian law enforcement officials discussed
their countries’ respective approaches to fighting all forms of
corruption, including misconduct by police, judges, and other
high officials. Numerous investigation techniques were discussed
at the conference, including: the use of confidential informants,
undercover police officers, drug screening, financial investigations,
electronic surveillance, debriefing of police prisoners, and random
integrity tests.
The December conference was just one of many sessions held by the US
Department of Justice in Yerevan to support Armenian law enforcement
and the judiciary. In 2008, the USDOJ held conferences for Armenian
judges, prosecutors, police and defense attorneys on the European
Convention on Human Rights, financial crime investigations, the rules
of evidence in adversarial proceedings, and the development of Armenian
jurisprudence and case law.