ISSN 2410-3594
e-ISSN 2786-7382
UDC 34; 159.9
Scientific Journal of the National Academy of Internal Affairs
- white-collar crimes; corruption crimes; pre-trial investigation; undue advantage; supervisory activity; prosecutor’s instructions; artificial intelligence
- https://doi.org/10.56215/naia-herald/4.2024.09
- Pages 9-21
The purpose of this study was to analyse the key aspects of the prosecutor’s procedural powers within the framework of pre-trial investigation of criminal offences under Articles 364-370 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. To fulfil this purpose, various methods were employed, including system-functional, formal legal, logical and dogmatic, modelling, classification, comparative legal, and statistical methods. It was found that the prosecutor is vested with broad powers in the procedural guidance of pre-trial investigation, supervising the implementation of procedural actions and providing relevant instructions. The study emphasised the necessity of improving the skills of law enforcement agencies in investigating white-collar and corruption crimes, which is critical for effective counteraction to offences. It was indicated that crimes in the field of official activity are often associated with abuse of office to influence investigators and other participants in criminal proceedings, including prosecutors and heads of pre-trial investigation bodies. The study analysed the practices of the USA, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Hungary regarding the regulation and specifics of prosecutors’ work in the investigation of such offences. It was summarised that the US practices with grand juries can ensure further verification of evidence, Brazil’s practices with AI-ACT can increase the transparency of processes, while Bulgaria’s practices of transferring cases to specialised courts can reduce corruption risks. However, adapting these practices in Ukraine will require the consideration of the specific features of the national legal system. Thus, the practical significance of this study lies in the possibility of using its findings for the qualified implementation of international practices in the organisation of the prosecutor’s procedural guidance during the investigation of white-collar crime
References
[1] Adiguna, L. (2021). The prosecutor’s authority to conduct a criminal investigation based on the government administration law. Administrative and Environmental Law Review, 2(1), 11-20. doi: 10.25041/aelr.v2i1.2214.
[2] Amelin, O., Kyslyi, A., Pidpalyi, V., Rovnyi, V, & Surzhyk, Y. (2024). Independence of prosecutors and judges in criminal proceedings in Ukraine and foreign countries in the context of international practices. Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 16(3), 191-207. doi: 10.62271/pjc.16.3.59.74.
[3] Amelin, O.Y. (2024). Realization of the functions of the prosecutor’s office as an element of the mechanism of ensuring the national security of Ukraine. Legal State, 55, 20-28. doi: 10.18524/2411-2054.2024.55.311949.
[4] Bu, Q. (2021). The viability of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in the UK: The impact on global anti-bribery compliance. European Business Organization Law Review, 22, 173-201. doi: 10.1007/s40804-021-00203-5.
[5] Capus, N., & Bozinova, M. (2023). Impression management in corporate corruption settlements: The storied self of the prosecutorial authority. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 73, article number 100578. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlcj.2023.100578.
[6] Decision of the Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors No. 47dp-24 “On Imposing a Disciplinary Sanction on Prosecutor of the Dnipro Specialized Defense Prosecutor’s Office of the Eastern Region K.O. Drozach”. (2024, March). Retrieved from https://kdkp.gov.ua/decision/2024/03/27/4392.
[7] Défense Production Act. (1950, September). Retrieved from https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R43767.pdf.
[8] Ferguson, G. (2022). Global corruption: Its regulation under international conventions, US, UK, and Canadian law and practice. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1828/13759.
[9] Flasher, R., Shirley, S., & Higgins, J. (2022). The Structure of state auditor functions in the fight against corruption. Current Issues in Auditing, 16(1), 18-26. doi: 10.2308/CIIA-2020-044.
[10] Gonzalez-Ocantos, E.A., Chirinos, P.M., Pavao, N., & Higaldo, V.B. (2023). Prosecutors, voters and the criminalization of corruption in Latin America: The case of Lava Jato. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781009329835.
[11] Guo, Z. (2023). Anti-corruption mechanisms in China after the supervision law. Journal of Economic Criminology, 1, article number 100002. doi: 10.1016/j.jeconc.2023.100002.
[12] Hermanto, A., & Riyadi, B. (2020). Constitutional law on the discretionary of prosecutor’s power against abuse of power implications of corruption culture in the prosecutor’s office Republic of Indonesia. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 9, 763-772. doi: 10.6000/1929-4409.2020.09.71.
[13] Hutahaean, A., & Indarti, E. (2020). Implementation of investigation by the Indonesian national police in eradicating corruption crime. Journal of Money Laundering Control, 23(1), 136-154. doi: 10.1108/JMLC-12-2018-0075.
[14] Hvozdetskyi, V.D., & Lyash, A.O. (2021). Supervision of the prosecutor over the observance of laws during the pre-trial investigation of corruption or corruption-related criminal offenses. In Proceedings of the IX international scientific and practical conference “Malynovski readings” (pp. 76-79). Ostroh: Publishing House of the National University of Ostroh Academy.
[15] Judges of the HACC of the Supreme Court spoke about the problem of abuse of procedural rights and the latest practice of the HACC of the Supreme Court. (2021). Retrieved from https://supreme.court. gov.ua/supreme/pres-centr/news/1211840/.
[16] Kremens, K. (2020). Powers of the prosecutor in criminal investigation. New York: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003018247.[17] Kremens, K., & Jasiński, W. (2024). The prosecution service in the Polish legal system. DPCE Online, 62(1), 337-362. doi: 10.57660/dpceonline.2024.2083.
[18] Krštenic, J., & Karovic, S. (2024). Prosecutors, courts and justice: The experience of the Balkans. Academic Journal of the Higher School of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ceará, 12(1), 195-206. doi: 10.54275/ raesmpce.v12i1.24.
[19] Lal, S., & Rasheed, K. (2023). The role of prosecution in improving justice delivery: A case study of Pakistan’s criminal justice system. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 6(2), 566-577. doi: 10.52337/ pjia.v6i2.806.
[20] Menezes, F.Z. (2024). Brazil’s Al regulation gets first draft to guide upcoming debates. Retrieved from https://brazilian.report/tech/2024/05/03/ai-regulation-first-draft-debates/.
[21] Miha, I. (2024). Preliminary investigation and invalidity of investigative actions. European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences, 8(2), 48-56. doi: 10.2478/ejels-2024-0009.
[22] Mitsilegas, V. (2021). European prosecution between cooperation and integration: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the rule of law. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 28(2), 245-264. doi: 10.1177/1023263X211005933.
[23] Odilla, F. (2023). Bots against corruption: Exploring the benefits and limitations of AI-based anti- corruption technology. Crime, Law and Social Change, 80, 353-396. doi: 10.1007/s10611-023-10091-0.
[24] Odilla, F. (2024). Unfairness in AI anti-corruption tools: Main drivers and consequences. Minds & Machines, 34, article number 28. doi: 10.1007/s11023-024-09688-8.
[25] Pamungkas, D. (2020). How police overcomes money laundering? Study analysis of role of Central Java Regional Police Department on money laundering case. Journal of Law and Legal Reform, 1(1), 25-34. doi: 10.15294/jllr.v1i1.35772.
[26] Panjaitan, B., Mawuntu, R., Waha, C., & Sondakh, J. (2022). Functions of the prosecutor of the Republic of Indonesia in the eradication of the crime of collusion to create a clean state. International Journal of Accounting & Finance in Asia Pasific, 5(2). doi: 10.32535/ijafap.v5i2.1589.
[27] Plea Bargaining. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/pleabargaining.
[28] Poplavska, A.V. (2024). Peculiarities of maintaining public prosecution by the prosecutor in cases of criminal offenses committed in the field of official activity and professional activities related to the provision of public services. Retrieved from https://dnuvs.ukr.education/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dysertacziya-poplavska.pdf.
[29] Prakoso, A.S., & Richard, R. (2024). The role of the prosecutor’s office in resolving criminal corruption cases. Journal of Research and Community Service, 5(7), 724-734. doi: 10.59188/devotion.v5i7.739.
[30] Pratomo, A.Y., Ma’ruf, U., & Witasari, A. (2021). Implementation of criminal action prosecution online in realizing principle of fast prosecution, simple & low cost. Jurnal Daulat Hukum, 4(2), 132-139. doi: 10.30659/jdh.v4i2.15737.
[31] Public Integrity Section (PIN). (2024). Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin.
[32] Sofiev, S.O., & Teslitsky, A.A. (2024). Peculiarities of the activity of the prosecutor’s office of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law. Expanding the powers of the prosecutor’s office in criminal proceedings. Irpin Law Journal, 2(15), 268-276. doi: 10.33244/2617-4154-2(15)-2024-268-276.
[33] Statistics on the work of the prosecutor’s office. (2024). Retrieved from https://old.gp.gov.ua/ua/file_downloader.html?_m=fslib&_t=fsfile&_c=download&file_id=241804.
[34] Suud, A.K. (2020). Optimization of the role of asset recovery center (PPA) of the attorney-general’s office of the Republic of Indonesia in asset recovery of corruption crime results. Jurnal Hukum dan Peradilan, 9(2), 211-231. doi: 10.25216/jhp.9.2.2020.211-231.
[35] Terziev, V., Georgiev, M., & Bankov, S. (2020a). The functions of the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office to guarantee compliance with the law during investigations. SSRN. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3676368.
[36] Terziev, V., Georgiev, M., & Bankov, S. (2020b). Achieved results of the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office in the prosecution and investigation of crimes of corruption. SSRN. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3676374.
[37] Training course “Procedural management and support of public prosecution in criminal proceedings on the facts of committing official and corruption criminal offenses”. (2024). Retrieved from http://surl.li/gumssg.
[38] Types of Juries. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/jury-service/types- juries.
[39] Van Der Wal, Z. (2021). Singapore’s corrupt practices investigations bureau: Guardian of public integrity. In A. Boin, L.A. Fahy & P. Hart (Eds.), Guardians of public value (pp. 63-86). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51701-4_3.
[40] Vari, V. (2023). The role of the public prosecutor in the investigation. Hungarian Law Enforcement, 23(1), 49-68. doi: 10.32577/mr.2023.1.3.
[41] Vassileva, R. (2022). Bulgaria’s failed specialized criminal justice experiment. Retrieved from https://verfassungsblog.de/bulgarias-failed-specialized-criminal-justice-experiment/.
[42] What is a DA. (2024). Retrieved from https://ndaa.org/about/what-does-a-da-do/.