Press Release

Tirana, July 15, 2020.  The  General Prosecutor Mr. Olsian Çela, the Minister of Finance and Economy Mrs. Anila Denaj and the Minister of Interior, Mr. Sander Lleshaj signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on the increase of the effectiveness of investigations related to money laundering, terrorist financing, financial crimes and sequestration and confiscation of criminal assets.
Through this Memorandum, the parties are committed to increase and strengthen the inter-institutional cooperation, institutional and professional capacities to meet the recommendations of the Stabilization and Association Committee (SAC), between Albania and the European Union, and implement the ICRG / FATF Action Plan within the deadlines set by each responsible institution.

The parties are committed to take the necessary supervisory, monitoring and coordinating measures in line with their legal competencies so as to conduct joint analyzes and to exchange information between institutions in order to accurately and fully identify violations constituting a criminal offense in the areas of money laundering, financing terrorism, financial crimes and conducting property investigations to sequestrate and confiscate criminal assets. 

The agreement foresees the measures to be taken for initiating and implementing legal changes or issuing the necessary bylaws as well as establishment or improvement of special structures according to the scope of this memorandum with the most qualified staff.
The agreement institutionalizes the cooperation for conducting proactive investigations and the use of special investigative tools to increase the effectiveness of coordination between relevant institutions and law enforcement agencies, according to the phases of tracing, investigating and prosecuting.
Institutions are committed to cooperate and exchange information, without compromising the respective legal competencies, the protection of personal data and the protection of investigative secrecy on specific issues.

Signatories of this memorandum are also the General Director of the State Police, the General Director for Prevention of Money Laundering, the General Director of Customs, the General Director of Taxation and the Chief Administrator of the Agency of the Administration of Sequestrated and Confiscated Assets.
The agreement stipulates the contribution of each institution, by defining the tasks and coordination of work among institutions and law enforcement agencies in tracing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting the criminal offenses in the areas of money laundering, financial crimes, terrorist financing, sequestration and confiscation of criminal assets committed by natural or legal persons as stated by the Criminal Code.