The first phase of the ICAR Program on Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery has been completed at INJ

In order to strengthen national capacities in the field of financial investigations and asset recovery, during the period 8-12 December 2025, the first week of a very complex training pilot program, with a training of trainers component, took place at the National Institute of Justice. This stage aimed at training specialists who will apply the methodology of the International Center for Asset Recovery (ICAR) in professional training and will contribute to the development of a national network of qualified trainers.

The programme, designed in five phases for the period December 2025-June 2026, aims to train a small group of practitioners to become ICAR certified trainers. During its course, participants will strengthen their technical skills in the field, acquire pedagogical and training facilitation skills and benefit from mentoring sessions, assessments and practical exercises.

The first stage, delivered by both Basel Institute experts and local trainers, focused on topics essential to the field of financial investigations and asset recovery. The agenda included introductory aspects of money laundering through crypto-assets, modern methods of financial investigation, constituent elements of the crime of money laundering and indirect techniques for proving illicit income. The theoretical sessions were supplemented with practical exercises focused on the identification and tracing of assets, the analysis of confiscation mechanisms and discussions on international legal assistance.

At the end of the week, following the evaluation of the participants' progress, five trainers were selected who will gradually be involved in the training activities, will progressively participate in the delivery of the modules, and in the last stages will take full responsibility for the implementation of the program.

The program is implemented by the National Institute of Justice in partnership with the International Center for Asset Recovery of the Basel Institute for Governance in Switzerland, within the project "Supporting the Republic of Moldova in confiscation and recovery of criminal assets (CRESTA)", with the support of the Swiss Cooperation Office. A special role in facilitating and carrying out these trainings belongs to Mr. David Mattan, Basel expert, Mrs. Corina Pavlisciuc and the trainers Thierry Ravalomanda, Phyllis Atkinson, Alexandru Donciu, whom we thank in this way.