JORDAN JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS RECEIVE TRAINING ON USE OF

UNCLAS AMMAN 002888

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, EEB, S/CT, AND INL
AMEMBASSY CAIRO FOR TREASURY (ROWE, SEVERENS)
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM FOR TREASURY (DAVIS)
TREASURY FOR OIA, OTA AND TFFC
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ECON KCRM SNAR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS RECEIVE TRAINING ON USE OF
TASK FORCES TO CONDUCT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS


1. (U) Summary: The U.S. Treasury Office of Technical Assistance
(OTA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Overseas
Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) delivered
a Strategic (Task Force) Approach to the Investigation and
Prosecution of Organized and Financial Crime Seminar October 5-9,
2008, in Amman, Jordan. The audience for this seminar was composed
of forty-two (42) judges and prosecutors from the Ministry of
Justice, State Security Court, Jordan Customs, Public Security
Department, and General Intelligence Directorate. The Judicial
Institute of Jordan sponsored the event in partnership with OTA and
OPDAT. End Summary.

Interest in U.S. investigative techniques
--------------


2. (U) For many years, the criminal justice system in the United
States has had success in attacking criminal organizations by
focusing on their leadership and financial activity via a
multi-agency or task force approach. Following the implementation
of an Anti-money Laundering Law in Jordan in July 2007, judges,
prosecutors and investigators have expressed interest in U.S.
practices in conducting complex criminal financial investigations.
In previous USG-sponsored training on financial investigative
techniques, participants identified the need for judges and
prosecutors to be better informed on successful methodologies used
in U.S. investigations if the methodologies are taught to Jordan's
criminal investigators. In response, OTA and OPDAT coordinated with
the Judicial Institute of Jordan to deliver a seminar on the
Strategic (Task Force) Approach to the Investigation and Prosecution
of Organized and Financial Crime on October 5-9, 2008, in Amman.


3. (U) U.S. Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft and GOJ Minister of
Justice Ayman Odeh addressed the participants at the opening
ceremony of the seminar which was attended by forty-two Jordanian
judges and prosecutors. The participants were selected to attend by
the Judicial Council of Jordan and represented the Ministry of
Justice, State Security Court, Jordan Customs, Public Security
Department, and General Intelligence Directorate. Three advisors
from OTA and two DOJ attorneys delivered the training modules. The
presenters were: Jerry Rowe, OTA Regional Enforcement Advisor -
Cairo; Joe Parker, OTA Resident Enforcement Advisor - Amman; Carol
Kelley, Financial Enforcement Advisor - Washington; Brian Frazier,
OPDAT Regional Legal Advisor - Abu Dhabi; and, Joseph Wall,
Assistant U.S. Attorney - Milwaukee. The OTA Resident Enforcement
Advisor - Amman coordinated with the Judicial Institute of Jordan
and the Ministry of Justice.

Focus on the Task Force Approach for Investigations
-------------- --------------


4. (U) Instruction modules were presented on the following topics:

- The U.S. Law Enforcement Strategy to Combat International
Organized Crime;

- Introduction to the Enterprise Theory, also known as the Task
Force Approach, for investigating and prosecuting organized or
serious financial crime;

- Money laundering offences;

- A comparative survey of U.S. investigative techniques vis-`-vis
Jordan investigative authority;

- Criminal intelligence and sources of information;

- Specialized forensic financial investigation techniques;

- Demonstrative evidence in financial crimes cases;

- Securing international cooperation and gathering foreign evidence
of financial crimes;

- Creating an organized crime task force.


5. (SBU) Open discussion of the material took place throughout the
seminar. Participants were open and candid in their comments. In
general, the participants voiced approval of the task force approach
and the value that it would add to the investigative capacity of
major cases. Some expressed concern that legislation would be
required to apply the task force approach, while others were adamant
that adopting the approach would only require agreement between
participating agencies.


6. (U) The Director of the Judicial Institute of Jordan spoke at the
closing ceremony of the event and expressed a desire for further
training of this type for Jordan's judges and prosecutors.

Visit Amman's Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman

BEECROFT