Colombia: ICITAP’s Investigative Model Helps Improve Investigations and Reduce Case Loads

From September 3 to September 4, ICITAP provided technical assistance to the Fiscalia’s Barranquilla Anti-Corruption Unit.  With the support of an in coordination with, the work with this unit has been ongoing for approximately a year, and, as a result of the implementation of the investigative model, the unit has reduced time frames for investigations and improved the quality of the investigations and prosecutions. As an example of the improvements, ICITAP has taken newly assigned cases and assisted the unit in completing the investigation to the point of accusation in 90 to 120 days, compared to past statistics of taking close to a year to complete an investigation. Cases with an open status – some of which had been open for years – were completed in 90 to 120 days.  It is not uncommon to find prosecutors with caseloads upwards of 500 to 800 cases, with little chance of resolving cases. The unit prosecutors and investigators have informed ICITAP that they are told to prioritize, to move cases, but no one has told them how. The ICITAP investigative model has filled that void and provided practical solutions focused on resolving cases and not simply conducting investigative activities. Decreased processing times lead to greater efficiency for law enforcement in Colombia, which means greater responsiveness and a greater impact on the criminal justice system.