UNMIK/PR/1277
PRISTINA – The DSRSG for Police and Justice, Mr. Jean-Christian Cady, today administered the oath of office to the new special prosecutor for financial crimes, Mr Andrea Stefano Venegoni. The special prosecutor will take over most of the current corruption cases. In certain cases, he will take the lead role in the prosecution, while one of the regional international prosecutors acts as the second prosecutor on a case.
“Preventing and combating corruption remains part of an overall effort undertaken jointly by UNMIK and the PISG to create the foundation for democracy, development, justice and effective governance,” DSRSG Cady said. “This appointment is directed at focusing prosecutorial resources on cases relating to corruption and financial crimes. The essential next step we are working on is to develop investigative and prosecutorial capacity among Kosovans to enable them to effectively address such sophisticated crimes,” he added.
Assigned to the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, the special prosecutor will be working closely with the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) to focus investigations on obtaining evidence useful for prosecution. Staffed by financial inspectors from the Italian Guardia di Finanza, the FIU is mandated to conduct random financial inspections of public bodies, public enterprises and any other enterprise or body that is in receipt of public funds from the Kosovo Consolidated Budget. The scope of such investigations was further enhanced with the establishment in November 2003 of the Investigation Task Force, which conducts administrative investigations to identify fraud and corruption involving UNMIK, PISG and other entities operating with public assets or utilising public funds.
Mr Venegoni, a lawyer from Italy, has particular specialisation in fiscal law and economic crimes investigations and has, in the capacity of lawyer, judge and public prosecutor since 1987, dealt with cases involving bankruptcy, smuggling, tax fraud, fraud in incomes and other such crimes, including those involving international inquiries. His experience of working with the Guardia di Finanza in Italy would be particularly useful in his functions in Kosovo.