PROSECUTORS, INVESTIGATORS AND POLICE OFFICERS RECEIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS TRAINING

Guatemala, July 13, 2012. Prosecutors, investigators and police officers are attending a training course titled the Criminal Investigation and Analysis Plan. The course aims to channel and enhance their technical criminal prosecution capabilities and thus support the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) in its fight against impunity and organized crime.

The training is backed by funding from the Government of Germany that is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and delivered by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). This training course is the fourth session planned by CICIG and it falls under the project to strengthen the Special Anti-impunity Prosecutor's Bureau (FECI) of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP).

The following topics will be addressed as part of the training: an investigation plan focusing on strategies and management of a criminal investigation, criminal investigation analysis and procedure, the creation of an investigation plan, the custody chain, criminal investigation techniques and analysis of criminal intelligence.

The course is being held in Guatemala City and 80 people will participate in total. Previous courses had focused on: questioning and interview techniques, investigating and prosecuting human trafficking, and extradition and international judicial assistance.

German Government backing
When addressing the participants, the German Ambassador, Thomas Schäfer, stated the importance of international cooperation in supporting the work undertaken by the MP and the National Civil Police (PNC): "I admire your work. I am aware that prosecutors and police officers carry out dangerous work, and you have assumed a risk so as to strengthen Guatemalan justice." He went on to say how important it is that a nation shows solidarity with a society in order to strengthen judicial institutions, and hence they support CICIG's work to eradicate impunity in Guatemala.

One of the goals of CICIG is to support, strengthen and cooperate with institutions of the State of Guatemala that are responsible for the investigation and criminal prosecution of crimes committed by illegal security groups and clandestine security structures. This series of training courses will give international experts the chance to share their knowledge and experience with Guatemalan prosecutors and investigators.