The Hindu : International : Hunt for stolen African billions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 20, 2005

International

International

Hunt for stolen African billions

Mark Townsend

LONDON: British investigators will be sent to help Africa retrieve billions of pounds hidden in the bank accounts of corrupt officials under a vital breakthrough secured by the British Government's chief legal adviser. In an exclusive interview, Lord Goldsmith outlined details of a "rapid reaction force" of trained financial detectives who would support African states in recovering assets stolen through corruption. The Attorney General said that huge sums were lying in banks, some of them European, and they would be returned to their original country as part of the Government's campaign to alleviate African poverty. Mr. Goldsmith said: "They [the rapid reaction force] will work with other countries and we will also help in training investigators as well as offering technical assistance in tracing stolen assets." The initiative was unveiled following an agreement late on Friday between Mr. Goldsmith and his G8 legal counterparts to ratify the U.N. convention against corruption. Twenty-five countries have so far ratified but until now the world's largest industrial countries had not done so. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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