EACC in stakeholder dialogue on financial investigations in Addis
11:08:2025: The Commission, represented by Ms. Roselyn Murugi (in the photo above), Senior Legal Officer, took part in a recently ended stakeholder dialogue and capacity building on asset recovery and financial investigations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The five-day workshop was a joint initiative of the Eastern Africa Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (EAACA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It was organized as a continuous effort to enhance the capacity of relevant government officers to combat corruption, money laundering, and ensure the recovery of stolen assets.
Her Excellency Hanna Arayaselassie, Minister of Justice, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, opened the July 28th to August 1st workshop, and also gave a keynote address. Also present during the opening ceremony were Her Excellency Tamara Mona, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ethiopia; Mr. Tesfaye Daba, State Minister of Justice; Mr. Muluken Amare, Director General, Financial Intelligence Service; and Mr. Francesco Checchi, Team Lead UNODC Africa Anti-Corruption Hub.
The workshop discussed International Legal Frameworks for Asset Recovery and Financial Investigations. Presented by Mr. Francesco Checchi, Team Lead, UNODC Africa Anti-Corruption Hub, and Ms. Atuweni-Tupochile Agbermodji, GPML Adviser, UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa, the discourse focused on, among others, Chapter V of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations, and regional cooperation tools such as ARINSA (Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for Southern Africa) and the GlobE Network (Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities).
Ms. Murugi, who is also Kenya’s Asset Recovery Inter-Agency (ARINEA) Network focal point, presented on International Cooperation Mechanisms for Asset Tracing and Recovery. She centred on the transnational nature of financial crimes, and explored methods for tracing assets across jurisdictions, including mutual legal assistance and international cooperation mechanisms.
Other topical themes included Asset Recovery Proclamation No. 1364/2025, focusing on a shared understanding of the legal requirements among stakeholders within the criminal and civil justice systems, challenges and shortcomings, and possible solutions in the implementation of the Proclamation; Financial Investigations and ‘Follow the Money’ Techniques by Mr. Johannes Jansen Van-Vuren, UNODC Consultant; and Frameworks for Asset Return and Repatriation, and Challenges and Tools for Investigation by Ms. Atuweni-Tupochile Agbermodji, GPML Adviser, UNODC ROEA.
The workshop was insightful, especially the discussion on digital/virtual Assets and Financial Crime, an emerging area in which Commission officers require knowledge and expertise in asset tracing.
