NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 23 — Prosecutors from across Eastern Africa have begun a coordinated effort to strengthen the region’s response to cryptocurrency-related crime, as a five-day training in Nairobi focuses on improving the investigation and prosecution of offences involving virtual assets, blockchain technology and cross-border financial crimes.

📻 Breaking It Down

The capacity-building workshop, organized by the Eastern African Association of Prosecutors (EAAP) in partnership with SecFin Africa, has brought together prosecutors, investigators, representatives of attorneys general and international partners from 13 countries to address the growing use of cryptocurrencies in money laundering, fraud, corruption and terrorism financing.

The programme seeks to equip participants with practical skills in interpreting blockchain intelligence, guiding digital asset investigations, preparing Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests and presenting virtual asset evidence in court.

Opening the workshop on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions and EAAP Secretary General Renson Ingonga, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Vincent Monda said regional collaboration is critical in confronting increasingly sophisticated financial crimes that transcend national borders.

📌 What You Need to Know

Monda noted that while blockchain technology can enhance transparency because transactions recorded on public ledgers leave permanent digital trails, investigators still face significant hurdles.

He said the key challenge lies in linking anonymous digital wallet addresses to individuals, lawfully preserving electronic evidence, engaging virtual asset service providers in time, and freezing or recovering criminal proceeds before they are transferred or concealed.

“Technology can support accountability, but investigators and prosecutors must have the skills to convert blockchain intelligence into admissible evidence and successful prosecutions,” he said.

SecFin Africa Regional Coordinator Juliet Mule, whose remarks were delivered by Eastern Africa Hub Advisor Samuel Eduam, warned that criminals are increasingly exploiting digital finance platforms to facilitate money laundering, corruption, terrorism financing and other cyber-enabled financial crimes.

Eduam said prosecutors must understand how digital wallets, cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain transactions and asset tracing operate if they are to keep pace with evolving criminal networks.

“The pseudonymous nature of virtual asset transactions allows proceeds of crime to move across borders with ease. This challenge can only be effectively addressed through harmonised approaches, peer learning and regional cooperation,” he said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya