When: 13 October, 11:00-12:30 CET
Where: Online
What do Teodorin Obiang, Gulnara Karimova, Muammar Gaddafi, Rifaat al-Assad, and Hosni Mubarak have in common? These current and former public figures are all alleged to have stolen huge sums of public money in their country and stashed it away in the EU and other key financial centres for safekeeping.
These are not just cases from a distant past; earlier this year the Luanda leaks led to Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s ex-president, being accused of having used public funds to amass a $2 billion empire at the expense of Angolan citizens with the help of European banks and intermediaries.
Why is the EU such an attractive destination for kleptocrats and the corrupt? Probably because it does not do enough to control illicit financial flows within its borders. In fact, just 2% of the proceeds of crime held in the EU are confiscated by European authorities.
It’s time for the EU to act. It’s time for these assets to be returned to the people they were stolen from.
Join our two-part webinar series to learn how the EU can stop suspicious money from flowing into Europe, and build stronger mechanisms to detect, confiscate and return stolen money that is already within its borders.
Part 1: 13 October from 11.00 to 12.30 (Brussels time)
After the Luanda leaks, what lessons for the EU?
The recent revelations of the Luanda leaks provide an excellent illustration of how kleptocrats and their families manage to slip under the radar of European anti-money laundering systems and enjoy lavish lifestyles. Join us to discuss the obstacles to effective asset recovery in the EU. We will address both legislative and operational challenges.
Introductory remarks
Michiel van Hulten, Director, Transparency International EU
Moderator
Laure Brillaud, Senior Policy Officer, Transparency International EU
Speakers
Ana Gomes, Former Member of European Parliament
Frederic Pierson, Head of Criminal Assets Bureau, Europol
Ernesto Savona, Director, Transcrime
Part 2: 17 November from 11.00 to 12.30 (Brussels time)
Returning stolen public money to citizens: what can the EU do?
In the second instalment of this series, we will discuss solutions and take a look at what some countries are already doing.
The agenda is in the making and registration will be opening soon, stay tuned.
Registration for Part 1 is now closed. We hope to see you for Part 2.
