First workshop on "Mock Trial" held

The Project “Prevention and Fight Against Corruption” and the Office of Development, Assistance and Training of Prosecutors' Offices within the United States Department of Justice (OPDAT) organized the first out of four workshops - "Mock Trial" which took place from September 30 to October 2 in Ečka.

The aim of the workshops is to improve efficiency and contribute to the development of best practices in a proactive approach to prosecuting crimes in the field of corruption and economic crime.

At the workshop, representatives of the Special Departments for the Suppression of Corruption at higher courts and higher public prosecutor's offices, representatives of the Police, Tax Administration, Public Procurement Office and the Agency for Prevention of Corruption actively worked on case study of corruption and procurement fraud.

Through active work on the case study, participants discussed the roles of prosecutors, police, and liaison officers in the criminal investigation, financial investigation, indictment preparation, indictment confirmation, and hearing preparation phases.

Furthermore, participants were introduced to good practices in the process of preparing witnesses for testimony, presenting evidence and examining witnesses. The next three workshops on “Mock Trial" will be organized during the fall of 2020.