In Slovenia, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (UPPD), which is the central financial intelligence unit in the country, plays a key role in ensuring the stability of the financial system and the protection of the rule of law. This master's thesis uses theoretical assumptions, applicable regulations, and an analysis of the effectiveness of prosecution in criminal proceedings to provide a detailed overview of the role of the UPPD in the Slovenian legal system.
The thesis focuses on analyzing the appropriateness of the UPPD's organizational placement as a body within the Ministry of Finance and the question of its independence in decision-making in relation to its powers and position as defined by law. The thesis also provides a detailed analysis of the time limits that elapse between the UPPD providing intelligence and the court issuing a judgment. A comparison of the operational effectiveness of anti-money laundering offices in Slovenia and Croatia for the period between 2018 and 2022 is also provided. The research employed descriptive, normative, dogmatic, comparative legal, and statistical analysis, inductive and deductive methods, and unstructured interviews. The methods used revealed that the organizational placement of the UPPD allows for independence in decision-making, which is comparable to the placement of the Intelligence and Security Service of the Ministry of Defense. A statistical analysis based on a sample of judgments rendered showed that, on average, less than five years elapse between the UPPD forwarding products to law enforcement agencies and the rendering of a judgment, which enables the system to respond appropriately to changing types of money laundering. The results of an international comparison confirm that the offices in Slovenia and Croatia are comparable in terms of the number of products forwarded, with the UPPD dealing with a wider range of criminal offenses.
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