For eleven years now, France has benefited from such a structure responsible for tracking serious economic and financial crime, and it is bearing fruit. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) has, in fact, brought in more than 12 billion euros to the French public treasury since its creation. Because for each euro invested in the PNF, the French State recovers approximately 500.
Some politicians would like the same thing in Belgium, but is it really justified? No if we are to believe the Belgian Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt. This recalls, in fact, that the detection and prosecution of fiscal, financial, economic and social crime is a spearhead of criminal policy and the National Security Plan. “Not always with the desired results, but it is still a priority,” he insists. “The entire public prosecutor’s office, as well as all local and federal police forces, must therefore pay attention to it.”
Our country has established public prosecutor’s offices with financial sections in the large districts made up of competent magistrates. “Organized fraud is treated as a priority by the public prosecutors of Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Mons and Liège,” insists the minister. Multidisciplinary investigation teams (MOTEM) made up of specialized investigators from tax administrations and social inspection services are also involved, adds the outgoing minister in his parliamentary response.
“There already exists a Federal Prosecutor’s Office and, within it, a financial section. This Federal Prosecutor’s Office can call on this central management and has reserved capacities within the federal judicial police of Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Mons and Liège. This central department also carries out missions for the district public prosecutor’s offices.” For offenses specifically affecting the interests of the European Union, a European Public Prosecutor’s Office has also been created in Belgium in application of the European directive. This organization follows the rules imposed by this directive.
In conclusion? The Minister of Justice says he is in favor of continuing the development of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office within the framework of the powers assigned to it by law and not of creating a new structure. “I am not convinced that creating a new structure would give better results,” concludes Paul Van Tigchelt. Of which act. For now, anyway.
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