ICSS and SIGA join forces with Portuguese Judiciary and Law Enforcement Authorities and the National Olympic Committee to launch comprehensive Sport Integrity Training and Education Programmes for law enforcement agencies
A joint Training and Education programme on Sport Integrity was launched on the 6th of June at a high-level conference, hosted by the Judiciary Police of Portugal (PJ), the Public Prosecutor Services (DCIAP and DIAP) and in association with the National Olympic Committee of Portugal (COP), the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) INSIGHT and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), for law enforcement agencies in Portugal.
In recognition of the fact that no country in the world can be immune from the threat of sport corruption with violations such as match-fixing, illegal betting, bribery, financial crime and other forms of sabotage; the partners mentioned have designed the Training and Education programme to improve awareness and understanding of corruption in sport, the strategies used by its perpetrators and the existing ways and instruments to detect, investigate and prosecute such criminal activities.
The key objectives of the Training and education programme are to:
- train law enforcement officials and prosecutors to investigate competition manipulation with a specific focus on transnational investigations, evidence evaluation and coordination with sports organisations;
- establish the parameters for exchange of information between sport and police (with a focus on the GDRP/2018);
- to increase capacity and prepare those within sports organisations in charge of disciplinary procedures to conduct fact-finding inquiries, in relation to a suspicion or allegation of match-fixing, to compile an inquiry-file report and submit the results, developing investigatory requirements such as interview skills, file reports and information management;
- to provide resources and practical tools;
- highlight legal frameworks and background information that facilitate a better understanding of match-fixing;
- empower the trainees to more effectively tackle match-fixing across levels and types of sport by providing guidance on specific trends within the respective universe
Mohammed Hanzab, Chairman and Group CEO of the ICSS said:
“This partnership is another important landmark in our long-term vision for the global safeguarding of sport. This work is an opportunity to promote the usage, on the ground and at this national level, of the tools developed by our organisation over the years – these include handbooks, such as that produced in cooperation with the Sorbonne University and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
With this high-level conference and the launch of a comprehensive Training and Education programme in Portugal, we are providing critical tools and together we are taking vital steps to reinforce the capacity of the public authorities and their resilience to respond to all of our aspirations to safeguard sport in concrete ways”.
