After critiquing Slovenia's initial strategy for countering economic crimes (1997), this paper outlines the most recent strategy adopted by the government in May 2002.
In 1997, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted an initial strategy for combating economic crime in the country; however, since no funding was allotted for its implementation, it remained only a declaration. There have been few specialized police and prosecutors trained to investigate economic crime. Recently, however, an Office for Combating Money Laundering was established. It conducts preliminary analyses of suspicious financial transactions and refers to police those cases that warrant further processing. The Office for the Prevention of Corruption has prepared legislation to establish a legal framework for combating corruption. It has requested funding for investigative resources but has not yet received it. Currently, it is exerting political pressure to establish a special investigation unit within the police to be an extension of the Office for Prevention of Corruption. In addition to inadequate training for investigators and the lack of organization for efficient investigations of economic crime, there is little logistical support for research work. The strategy for combating economic crime that was adopted in May 2002 consists of five key objectives: the adoption of well-crafted legislation, improvement in cooperation among state control mechanisms, assuring prevention activities, better training of personnel, and improvement in the personnel structures in the agencies responsible for the investigation of economic crime. The critical issues are the organization and funding necessary to implement the strategy. 8 references