The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), in partnership with the Basel Institute on Governance through its International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), has launched a specialised Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) training programme to strengthen the leadership and management of complex corruption investigations and asset recovery.

The ten-day course brings together senior investigators responsible for directing major investigations. It is designed to enhance leadership, decision-making and investigative management while strengthening the preparation of cases for prosecution and supporting more effective asset recovery.

Opening the programme, the Director of Investigations, Asset Recovery and Management at the OSP, Albert Akurugu, said the course was intended to equip senior investigators with the skills required to oversee investigations from beginning to end.

"The training focuses on setting clear investigative objectives, making informed decisions and managing investigations effectively from inception through to prosecution," he said.

Mr Akurugu said senior investigators play a critical role in ensuring that investigations are properly planned, evidence is secured and investigative teams remain focused on achieving clearly defined objectives. He noted that the course combines classroom instruction with practical exercises based on simulated investigations, allowing participants to apply investigative principles to realistic operational scenarios.

The programme covers investigation planning, evidence gathering and preservation, exhibit management, investigative reporting, financial investigations and asset recovery. Participants also examine how financial enquiries can be integrated into criminal investigations to improve opportunities for identifying, tracing and recovering the proceeds of crime.

The course also addresses communication during investigations, examining how investigators can balance transparency with the need to protect the integrity of ongoing cases and safeguard sensitive information.

Senior Asset Recovery Specialist at the Basel Institute on Governance's ICAR, Carolyne Lamptey, said the programme was developed following consultations with the OSP to identify opportunities to strengthen investigative leadership within the Office.

She said effective investigations depend on clear leadership, well-defined strategies and the careful management of evidence from the outset.

"Clear investigative strategies and the timely preservation of evidence enable investigators and asset recovery officers to conduct thorough investigations capable of supporting criminal proceedings," she said.

Ms Lamptey added that integrating financial investigations into criminal cases enables investigators to pursue asset recovery alongside criminal accountability. She noted that this approach also supports international cooperation where assets or financial evidence are located across multiple jurisdictions.

The Senior Investigating Officer course forms part of the OSP's ongoing collaboration with the Basel Institute on Governance to strengthen investigative capacity and promote good investigative practice.