Prosecutors pairing program
A fundamental part of strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism systems in the Pacific is the ability of prosecutors to take proceeds of crime action. AMLAT and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) have developed a pairing program that places a Pacific Island prosecutor in a proceeds of crime team within the CDPP. The pairing program was developed to increase the capacity of Pacific Island prosecutors to undertake proceeds of crime action through practical experience, training and mentoring with the CDPP.
A State prosecutor from the Papua New Guinea Office of Public Prosecution took part in the inaugural phase of this program, undertaking his placement with the Criminal Assets Branch of the CDPP in Brisbane from July to September 2007. On his return to Papua New Guinea in September, he participated as a key presenter at a multi-agency training workshop for the implementation of Papua New Guinea’s Proceeds of Crime Act. He was also asked to present on proceeds of crime at Papua New Guinea’s National Prosecutors Conference in October.
Nominations were sought in early 2008 from Pacific Island countries for a prosecutor to undertake a similar placement with the CDPP. A Senior Assistant Public Prosecutor from Vanuatu was invited to take part in the program and began his placement in Melbourne in April 2008.
A Principal Legal Officer from Solomon Island has also been invited to take part in the program and will begin his placement in Brisbane in mid-June 2008.
The Attorney-General’s Department and CDPP will be running this program bi-annually.