In collaboration with the Centre for Training in the Judiciary and the State Prosecutor's Office of Montenegro, the Council of Europe organized a two-day training for judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and financial intelligence officers on 11-12 September in Podgorica.

The training participants had an opportunity to discuss with the Council of Europe experts about how the key entities in the chain of the prosecution and adjudication of money laundering cases can utilise the mechanisms and tools provided by Montenegrin legislation to achieve greater effectiveness.

Additionally, they exchanged views on the distinction between indirect evidence in money laundering prosecutions and direct evidence in asset confiscation, along with all the possibilities that the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, the Criminal Code of Montenegro, and the Law on Seizure and Confiscation of Material Benefit derived from Criminal Activity offer in these areas. Overall, the aim is to encourage a change in the approach towards conducting financial and criminal investigations in parallel, in line with the opportunities provided within Montenegrin legislation, by introducing provisions related to criminal activity and extended confiscation.

The activity was organised by the Action against economic crime in Montenegro, within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.