The International Roundtable, focused on exploring the impact of leaks such as the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and LuxLeaks on prosecution and judicial review, took place on May 22, 2024. With the generic „From information leaks to justice: Challenges and Opportunities for the Judiciary in the Age of Disclosure”, the event was organized by the Corporate Crime Observatory (CCO) in partnership with the National Institute of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, the Superior School of Magistracy of Italy, Boston College Law School, Manchester Law School, and Government Accountability Project, Association of Corporate Investigators, Whistleblower Partners and University of Roehampton.
On behalf of the Republic of Moldova, at the meeting spoke the Head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, Veronica Dragalin, the liaison prosecutor at the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), Mihail Ivanov, and the advisor to the NIJ Director, Olga Marandici.
Structured in two parts, the roundtable brought together members of the judiciary, including beneficiaries of the National Institute of Justice, as well as investigative journalists, for the transfer of knowledge, establishing a constructive dialogue and creating synergy between these professions. In particular, were addressed issues related to illicit financial flows (tax avoidance and corruption) and ethically questionable practices (undeclared conflicts of interest of civil servants).
In the first session, international experts analyzed the phenomenon of leaks and the role of informants and investigative journalists in revealing abusive practices. Also, during the discussions were debated issues regarding the legal and ethical implications of leaks. In the second session, tools and strategies were provided to manage the difficulties faced by prosecutors and judges in the correct use of the disclosed information in their investigation or examination of legal proceedings.