In November 2019, the IIJ delivered two further skills-based training modules under Phase 2 of its bespoke Cameroon Multi-agency ‘Intelligence-led, Evidence-driven’ Counter-Terrorism Investigation Capacity-Building project to senior representatives of intelligence, law enforcement, prosecutors and judges in Cameroon. This innovative training is being convened under the auspices of the IIJ Investigations Initiative, one of eight IIJ Core Initiatives, with generous support from the United Kingdom – a founding IIJ Board Member, and in country support from the British High Commission to the Republic of Cameroon.
The modules were led by Mr. Joe Connell, the IIJ’s Senior Investigations Adviser and a UK secondee, who is a former senior UK Metropolitan Police CT investigator at New Scotland Yard. The IIJ was pleased to also welcome to the Training Advisory Team: Mr. Dan Suter, a former UK Crown Prosecutor and experienced criminal defence lawyer; Mr. Simon Butterworth, former Head of Analysis for UK National Counter Terrorism Policing; and Mr. Simon Goddard, a former Senior Financial Investigator.
Throughout the modules, participants strengthened investigative skills relating to the obtaining of electronic evidence across borders, the use of open source intelligence, and practical skills training on digital media investigation and countering terrorist financing. The training supported implementation and operationalisation of good practices articulated within the GCTF's Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector and Abuja Recommendations on the Collection, Use and Sharing of Evidence for Purposes of Criminal Prosecution of Terrorist Suspects, as well as the UNODC’s Practical Guide for Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders.
The participants benefited not only from specialist presentations, but also the opportunity to apply their investigative skills in a real-world, practical setting. Throughout the training, the participants developed a number of practical recommendations to incorporate international good practices, including those of the GCTF, UNODC, and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), into the operational framework guiding Cameroon’s counter-terrorism investigations and legal practices. These recommendations will be further tested and strengthened through a joint-agency investigation exercise scheduled for early 2020.
For more information on the IIJ Investigations Initiative, please contact Senior Investigations Advisor Philip Tucker.