DOJ/OPDAT Recent Achievements

DOJ/OPDAT Recent Achievements

OPDAT and ICITAP Assist in Transfer of Iraqi Detainees: On December 4, personnel from the Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) facilitated the transfer of 168 detainees found November 13, 2005 in a Baghdad neighborhood bunker to Iraqi Corrections Service (ICS) custody. The OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) to Baghdad served as the point person for the Department of Justice to ensure that the Iraq Ministry of Justice appointed a panel of judges to investigate alleged abuse and to ensure that the prisoners were legally detained. The RLA continuously monitored the progress of the investigation and the transfer of the detainees from the Iraq Ministry of Interior to United States and finally to ICS custody. Once the detainees were transferred via Chinook helicopters to the ICS prison in Rusafa, Iraq, ICITAP monitored the processing of the prisoners, including physical exams and complete photographing of each prisoner. The individual who oversees Iraq detainee operations for the US Military commended the OPDAT RLA and ICITAP for their excellent work.

OPDAT Participates in High-level US-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Task Force: As part of its ongoing efforts to provide assistance in the anti-corruption and anti-money laundering/terrorist financing area, OPDAT participated in a high-level US-Azerbaijan Joint Economic Task Force on November 29th at the Department of State. OPDAT representatives addressed key challenges facing Azerbaijan in combating these priority crimes, including the prompt passage of a draft anti-money laundering/terrorist financing law that DOJ experts helped to draft and the enforcement of a new Groups of States Against Corruption (GRECO)-compliant anti-corruption regime. ODPAT also pledged its continued support and assistance in the justice sector reform area to the Government of Azerbaijan through its Resident Legal Advisor, who is posted to the US Embassy in Baku.

DOJ Components to Place Advisors in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Benin as Part of Presidential Women's Justice Power Initiative: On November 28 - December 9, the OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to the United Arab Emirates and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) Acting Assistant Director for Africa participated on an interagency team assessing South Africa and Zambia's abilities to address sexual violence and abuse against women. These countries, as well as Benin and Kenya which will be assessed in January 2006, will receive $55 million to improve women's social roles and combat sexual abuse and violence under President Bush's Women's Justice Power Initiative (WJEI). By the spring of 2006, both OPDAT and ICITAP plan to place advisors in each of the four countries to lead and coordinate the law enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial development of the President's Women's Justice Power Initiative.

US-Based Program for Colombian Judges: On November 27-December 3, OPDAT conducted a program in Washington, DC, for a delegation of twelve Supreme Court and Federal Appellate Level judges from Colombia to familiarize them with the US court system. They observed court proceedings to gain a better understanding of the appellate process, standards of review on appeal, importance and use of precedent, purposes of oral argument, and administrative matters. The purpose of the US-based program was to engage the Colombians and their American counterparts in a comparative dialogue on their respective court systems and enhance the capacity of judges to operate in the more adversarial style criminal justice system in effect under Colombia's revised criminal procedure code. This US-based program was part of OPDAT's ongoing efforts under Plan Colombia to assist in the implementation of legal and judicial systems through exposure to and information about US legal practices and international legal norms.

OPDAT Conducts Trial Advocacy Program for Colombian Prosecutors and Investigators: From November 27 - December 11, OPDAT conducted two simultaneous criminal trial advocacy programs for a total of 100 Colombian prosecutors and 40 investigators in Medellin, Colombia. Both programs focused on trial techniques and implementation of the new criminal procedure code as Colombia continues to transition to an adversarial criminal justice system. Representing DOJ in the training was an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Colombia, the OPDAT Justice Sector Reform Project Manager, an OIA Trial Attorney, and four AUSAs (from Southern District, Florida; Southern District, Texas; and District of Utah).

Iraq Resident Legal Advisor Assists in Developing Forensic Training for Baghdad Judiciary: At the request of Baghdad and Central Criminal Court of Iraq judges, an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Iraq, together with the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, developed a four-hour forensic training program for investigative judges. By November 24, all Central Criminal Court of Iraq judges and 40 of 200 Baghdad judges completed the training. The remaining Baghdad judges will be trained by the end of calendar year 2005. The judges have requested two additional training sessions, focusing on specific forensic issues such as death investigation and wound analysis.

Russian Officials Receive Assistance on Combating Trafficking in Persons: From November 26 to December 2, OPDAT organized and hosted a visit to Washington, DC, by a delegation of 12 Russian officials with responsibilities for developing Russian legislation and law enforcement capacity to combat trafficking in persons crimes. During the week-long visit, the Russian delegation observed how US law enforcement tackles human trafficking cases, and met with officials from the Criminal Division's Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, Office of Enforcement Operations, Office of International Affairs, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, and OPDAT, as well as from other law enforcement agencies including the US Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and the inter-agency Human Trafficking and Smuggling Center. The delegation was accompanied by an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor to Russia, and an OPDAT Program Analyst.

Iraq Resident Legal Advisors Serve as Rule of Law Coordinators in Newly Formed Provincial Reconstruction Teams: OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors to Iraq serve as provincial rule of law coordinators on the respective Mosul and Kirkuk recently formed Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice participated in the opening ceremonies for the Mosul PRT, the first one to become operational on November 11, 2005. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad attended the Kirkuk PRT's opening ceremony on November 17, 2005. PRT Teams, a combination of civilian and military personnel, will facilitate the capacity building of provincial governments. OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors will focus on rule of law issues and will provide assistance and training to provincial judges and the newly appointed Central Criminal Court of Iraq provincial panels. Currently, three PRTs are operational - Mosul, Kirkuk and Hilla (stood up on November 21, 2005). Twelve additional PRTs are scheduled to be operational between January and June 2006.

Georgian Prosecutors Pass Polygraph: As part of its continuing anti-corruption assistance efforts, OPDAT arranged for 4 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) polygraphers, including the chief of the polygraph unit, to test approximately 25 Georgian prosecutors and investigators during the week of November 14th. The Georgians who were tested included about 15 persons currently with the Anti-Money Laundering Bureau, who previously passed the initial FBI polygraph administered in December 2003. This unit is currently assisting the Criminal Division's Organized Crime and Racketeering Section (OCRS) with the Gamma Bank case. Approximately 10 are members of the Ministry of Interior were also tested. With the exception of one person, who had been hired recently by the unit, all passed the polygraph.

OPDAT Conducts Trial Advocacy Program for Colombian Prosecutors and Investigators: On November 14-19, OPDAT conducted two criminal trial advocacy programs for a total of 120 Colombian prosecutors and investigators in Bucaramanga and Medellin, Colombia. Both programs focused on trial techniques and implementation of the new criminal procedure code as Colombia continues to transition to an adversarial criminal justice system. Representing DOJ in the Medellian training was an OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) to Colombia and three AUSAs (from District of Puerto Rico, District of AZ, and Western District, NY). In the Buracamanga training, the OPDAT Justice Sector Reform Project Manager participated with three AUSAs (from District of Columbia, Southern District, TX, and Southern District, FL).