Confiscation of instrumentalities and proceeds of corruption crimes in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

C. CE Criminal Law Convention on Corruption
This Convention was signed within the framework of the Council of Europe on 27 January 1999, and, as of 
July 2018, 48 countries are parties to the Convention.
The Convention obliges states to criminalise the following corruption offences: active and passive bribery 
of domestic public officials, including members of domestic public assemblies; active and passive bribery 
of foreign public officials and public assemblies, active and passive bribery in private sector; bribery of 
officials of international organisations, members of foreign parliamentary assemblies, including judges and 
officials of international courts; trading in influence and money laundering of proceeds from corruption 
offences.
Complicity in the aforesaid offences as well as in account offences are also subject to criminalisation, when 
such offences intend to commit, conceal or disguise the circumstances of the corruption offences listed in 
the Convention.
This international instrument envisages the need to adopt measures to ensure that legal persons can be held 
liable for the criminal offences of active bribery, trading in influence and money laundering, committed for 
their benefit by any natural person, acting either individually or as part of an organ of the legal person, who 
has a leading position within the legal person, as well as underlines the autonomy of such liability from 
criminal prosecution of natural persons.
In accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 19 of the Convention, Each Party shall adopt such legislative and 
other measures as may be necessary to enable it to confiscate or otherwise deprive the instrumentalities and 
proceeds of criminal offences established in accordance with this Convention, or property the value of which 
corresponds to such proceeds. 
The Convention obliges Each Party to adopt measures to ensure that their entities and public officials are 
specialised and independent in the fight against corruption; to provide effective protection for those co-
operate with the investigating or prosecuting authorities; to perform special investigation actions to identify, 
trace, freeze, seize the proceeds of corruption or property the value of which corresponds to such proceeds; 
and to facilitate international cooperation in this regard. 
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) monitors the implementation of the Convention by the