Money laundering

Suspicions confirmed

Koukakis's account of his run-in with Predator reads like the script of a Hollywood thriller. Only this is not fiction.

Ljubljana – The information commissioner has asked for constitutional review of part of the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing act that is based on two inspection proceedings and related to processing of personal information by the Office for Money Laundering Prevention.

Asked by BIRN whether it saw any issue in the fact prosecutors had not used anti-mafia legislation against Gjini or Shkalla, the Prosecution against Corruption and Organised Crime, SPAK, said it had "no comment on the matter." The law should be applied to both men automatically.

The Belgrade Court of Appeal has quashed the first-instance verdict which sentenced indicted drugs smuggler Darko Saric and 12 members of his group for laundering at least 20 million euros in Serbia and ordered a retrial.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (left) and Socialist Party secretary-general Damian Gjiknuri. Photo: LSA

The opposition claims that the scheme would allow criminal to launder proceeds of illegal activities, in a country where money-laundering and organised crime are a serious concern.

The Special Prosecution Against Organised Crime and Corruption said on Tuesday that two investigations of President Ilir Meta have begun after former MP Halit Valteri issued two criminal complaints accusing him of abuses related to lobbying contracts with US firms.

The building of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France.  Photo: EPA-EFE/PATRICK SEEGER

Had the company done that, "this Court would have had the benefit of the views of the national courts", the ruling read.

The ECHR said the company had failed to take appropriate steps to enable national courts to fulfil their fundamental role.

A growing number of Albanian crime figures are finding refuge and laundering money in the United Arab Emirates, knowing that authorities in Albania and elsewhere in Europe will struggle to secure their extradition.

If Turkey joins Syria and Lebanon as the third narco-state in the Eastern Mediterranean, this will only compound the region’s trafficking and money laundering problems

Celje – A long-running trial over allegedly bogus consultancy contract related to the 2007 acquisition of stock of a fish-processing company by builder Vegrad has collapsed after a court-appointed expert found that consultancy services were in fact provided and the prosecution withdrew the indictment against prominent lawyer Miro Senica and co-defendants.