VZCZCXRO4313
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #0578/01 0620942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030942Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8655
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 0047
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC//ICITAP
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC//OTA//
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL ALTON, AND CARROLL; EUR/ACE; SCA/CEN FOR OMARA; 
JUSTICE FOR GREG DUCOT, TREASURY FOR ANTONOVICH 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM KCOR PGOV KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: INL CONDUCTS TRAINING COURSE FOR FINANCIAL 
POLICE INVESTIGATORS 
 
 
ASTANA 00000578  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Embassy Astana's International Narcotics and Law 
Enforcement (INL) office, in cooperation with the Financial Police 
Academy (FPA), conducted a five day training course on money 
laundering and financial investigative techniques for financial 
police investigators in Astana February 13-17.  Treasury Department 
anti-money laundering (AML) instructors introduced participants to 
best practices of investigation and prosecution of money laundering 
and shared real-world experiences.  End summary. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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¶2.  The course was the fifth in a series of Financial Investigative 
Techniques courses under a joint INL-GOK program which are a part of 
the official curriculum of the Financial Police Academy approved by 
the Agency on Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (Financial 
Police).  OTA trainers successfully conducted the first course for 
professors and teachers of the Financial Policy Academy (FPA) in 
January 2006.  OTA trainers and FPA professors jointly conducted the 
subsequent four courses for over 115 Financial Police investigators 
from throughout Kazakhstan in July, October, and December 2006.  The 
purpose of the courses is to improve capacity of the financial 
police to investigate financial crimes, especially money laundering. 
 
 
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LESSONS AND DISCUSSIONS 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  For the February course, a team from the Office of Technical 
Assistance together with Kazakhstani experts and practicing 
investigators from Interpol, the Procurator General's Office, the 
Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Supreme Court, the Agency on 
Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (Financial Police), as well 
as professors and teachers of the Financial Police Agency, trained 
investigators from all oblasts of Kazakhstan on combating money 
laundering.  The international experts from the Treasury Department 
taught the best U.S. practices in combating this crime and shared 
their wealth of international experience in the field. 
 
¶4.  During the course the instructors and participants discussed the 
importance of anti-money laundering policy for economic development 
of Kazakhstan; reviewed the legal basis of and threats to the 
economic security of Kazakhstan; discussed Kazakhstani legislation 
on combating money laundering and conducted legal analysis of 
Article 193 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (on money 
laundering); discussed the draft anti-money laundering law and the 
structure of the future Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); and 
reviewed types of economic and financial crimes and methods to 
combat these crimes. 
¶5.  In particular, the participants studied money laundering schemes 
used in different parts of the Kazakhstani economy, reviewed money 
laundering scenarios, studied special investigative techniques used 
in detection and investigation of financial crimes, learned about 
bulk cash smuggling and trade-based money laundering, and learned 
methods of proof and how to conduct financial interviewing.  Special 
emphasis was placed on studying the material on money laundering for 
terrorism financing, and schemes for laundering proceeds received 
from illegal narcotics trafficking.  The participants shared their 
experiences in investigating financial crimes and discussed real 
cases from their practice.  The core of the course was devoted to 
practical exercises on the above mentioned topics. 
 
¶6.  The participants' feedback revealed the widespread understanding 
that money laundering is a transnational crime and the recognition 
of the importance of international cooperation in combating money 
laundering.  The feedback also noted the importance of strengthening 
cooperation between law enforcement agencies combating money 
laundering in Kazakhstan. 
 
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PRACTICAL OUTCOME 
----------------- 
 
¶7.  OTA experts welcomed the idea of the FPA Director publishing a 
book on anti-money laundering and financial investigative techniques 
in English based on the jointly conducted courses.  In addition, the 
February course participants supported the proposal of the FPA 
professors to publish a series of articles in Russian which will 
represent the ideas of practicing investigators and researchers of 
the FPA. 
 
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NEXT STEPS 
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ASTANA 00000578  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8.  Per the request of the Financial Police Academy, INL will 
continue providing technical assistance in 2007 and will develop a 
new course designed for operational officers of the financial 
police.  The course will focus on detection of financial and 
economic crimes including specific methods of detection and 
investigation of crimes in banking, the oil and gas sector, mining 
industry, telecommunications, agriculture, gambling business, state 
and private construction, and the power industry.  It will also 
address specific methods of detection and preservation of evidence 
of financial corruption, detection and investigation of crimes 
related to legalization of capital and other property obtained by 
illegal means.  The training courses will be conducted in April, 
September and November 2007. 
 
¶9.  In addition, as a portion of the FY 2003/2004 project plan, INL 
provided the Financial Police Academy a language laboratory to help 
the cadets learn English.  This will make possible their enrollment 
at law enforcement institutions abroad (U.S. or Europe) where they 
can study best international experience fighting transnational 
crimes and also permit cooperation with other law enforcement 
authorities on international money laundering cases. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶10.  The series of trainings provided in 2006 and early 2007 was 
very well received by the trainees and has already resulted in a 
request for operational cooperation in an AML case.  Post attributes 
the GOK's receptivity to the collaborative training approach, 
drawing on international and local expertise to teach all classes. 
Effecting change in GOK institutions is a goal in all INL programs 
and Post views the joint efforts in AML as a significant milestone 
in achieving our foreign assistance goals.  In the long term, Post 
regards the GOK as a willing participant in countering money 
laundering, in part due to its desire to create a regional financial 
center in Almaty. 
 
ORDWAY