Establishment of the Joint Investigative Unit to Fight Economic Crime and Corruption (May 22, 2007)

The U.S. Embassy and the Delegation of the European Commission in Tirana congratulate the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Finance, and the Director of National Intelligence Service for their cooperative effort in forming the Joint Investigative Unit to fight Economic Crime and Corruption. 

The Joint Investigative Unit will bring together prosecutors, police officers, tax and customs officials in order to investigate and prosecute financial crime and corruption in the district of Tirana. 

The U.S. Embassy, through its U.S. Department of Justice OPDAT (Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training) and ICITAP (International Criminal Investigative Assistance Training Program), will provide technical assistance to the Joint Investigative Unit by offering training, support, and mentoring.

The European Commission will provide technical assistance to the Unit through a €1.3 million twinning project. In addition it will finance equipment for the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Albanian Ministry of Finance in the amount of €365,000.