Russia ready to share practices for identifying illicit assets with OIC member states

Russia is ready to share its experience in using digital technologies to identify illicit assets and financial transactions with member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Russian Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan said at the third high-level meeting of heads of anti-corruption law enforcement agencies of OIC member states in Baku.

"Today, corrupt officials are using digital tools to make our work more difficult by concealing illicit wealth in the virtual space. But we, too, have access to these information technologies," he said.

According to Gutsan, modern technologies make it possible to analyse large volumes of financial transactions, including identifying the beneficial owners of assets.

"We actively use these technologies and are ready to share best practices in combating corruption," the prosecutor general stressed.

He also announced that regular training courses organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for experts from countries participating in the review of the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption had begun on October 28 at the Russian Prosecutor General"s Office in Moscow.

"The second phase of the review will begin next year, and demand for such courses will only grow. We will be glad to welcome representatives of OIC member states in Moscow," Gutsan added.

The prosecutor general also noted that Russian practice provides for the confiscation of illicitly acquired assets not only from corrupt officials themselves, but also from their relatives, affiliated persons and heirs.