Support to Judiciaries and the Police in the EaP Region

How Recovered Assets Can Support the Law Enforcement Sectors in the EaP Region

EaP region’s average annual losses due to IFFs linked to criminal activity (estimated total EUR 29.9 billion)

If only 10% of IFFs in the region were successfully recovered, this would fund:

90% EUR 26.9 billion

10% EUR 2.99 billion

Salaries of approximately 6 000 police officers

throughout the EaP region for 20 years (highest average salary + 20%)

AND

Salaries of approximately

3 000 judges throughout the EaP region for 15 years (highest professional grade in the legal sector + 20%)

This study has examined some of the needs and weaknesses of the law enforcement sector in the EaP countries. One major problem that seems to emerge is the very low salary of those involved in the law enforcement sector throughout all six EaP countries. As with the education sector, this phenomenon can lead to fewer young, motivated individuals willing to undertake a career in this field and it can also facilitate an environment where it might become convenient to accept a bribe. This dynamic can hamper citizen’s trust in justice sector institutions, increasingly encouraging an environment where corruption and organised crime mutually reinforce each other at the expense of society and the State.

Employing motivated judges and police officers at the already existing highest average salary for this category of workers, with an additional 20% increase, potentially leads to reduced vulnerability to bribes, as low salaries are often cited as an increased risk to susceptibility to corruption.168

Still, raising salaries is not sufficient for reducing corruption, in the absence of effective management and control of abuse, resources and staff.169

Successful recovery of only 10% of the estimated illicit financial flows in EaP countries every year would cover the salary costs of 6 000 police officers (1 000 per country) for 20 years considering the average highest salary for this category of workers in each EaP country and adding a 20% increase to such salaries.170

Similarly, EaP countries could each employ 500 additional judges, for a total of 3 000 judges, at the national average salary of the highest professional grade in the legal sector plus 20% for 15 years.171