Mutual Legal Assistance, Extradition and Recovery of Proceeds of Corruption in Asia and the Pacific, 2007

Bringing the corrupt to justice and recovering the proceeds of corruption have become more challenging as people and assets cross borders with ever greater ease. Law enforcement officials in corruption cases increasingly depend on international cooperation to gather evidence, apprehend fugitives and recover the proceeds of corruption. Unfortunately, the mechanisms for mutual legal assistance (MLA) and extradition remain inadequate.

The 27 member jurisdictions of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia-Pacific have resolved to address the issue by conducting a thematic review on MLA, extradition and recovery of proceeds of corruption. The review aims at assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing frameworks and practice, with the overall objective of assisting member jurisdictions design policies and procedures that enhance international cooperation in corruption cases.

The present publication is a first outcome of this thematic review. This preliminary report provides an overview of policies, legislation, institutions and trends concerning MLA and extradition in corruption cases in the 27 members of the Initiative. The approach is thematic so that various features of MLA and extradition systems can be easily compared. An expanded version of the publication, which will include country specific reports, will be available in late 2007.