Forfeiture of assets - national procedures for ICC proceedings

Netherlands

International Criminal Court Implementation Act 2002

CHAPTER 4. ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES
§ 4. Enforcement of other penalties and orders
Section 72
§ 4 of this chapter applies to a request of the ICC to enforce one or more of the following penalties imposed and orders issued by the ICC:
(a) a fine;
(b) an order for the forfeiture of proceeds, property and assets derived directly or indirectly from the crime;
(c) a reparation order as referred to in article 75 of the Statute, entailing an obligation on the sentenced person to pay a sum of money to or in respect of one or more beneficiaries.

Section 73
The public prosecutor shall apply to the District Court within two weeks of the date on which he receives the request, together with the accompanying documents, for leave to enforce the penalty or order. The public prosecutor shall lodge the documents with the District Court when making his application. A copy of the application shall be served on the sentenced person.

Section 74
1. As soon as possible after receipt of the application referred to in section 73, the president of the District Court shall determine the date on which the Court will start to deal with the application. A period of at least ten days must elapse between the day on which the sentenced person is given notice to appear at the hearing and the day of the hearing.
2. This period may be shortened with the consent of the sentenced person, provided that this consent is evidenced by a written statement.

Section 75
The clerk of the District Court shall immediately notify the public prosecutor and the sentenced person of the date set for the hearing of the application. If the sentenced person does not already have legal representation, he shall be informed of his right to choose one or more counsel and of the possibility of obtaining legal aid, as well as his right to disclosure of documents.

Section 76
1. The public prosecutor and the sentenced person are entitled to call witnesses and experts for the purpose of the investigation to be carried out by the District Court and the decisions to be taken by it under § 4 of this chapter.
2. The public prosecutor may, in a reasoned decision, refuse to call witnesses or experts if it may reasonably be assumed that they have been called by the sentenced person to give testimony at the hearing to dispute facts as referred to in section 78, subsection 3. The decision shall be immediately notified in writing to the sentenced person. He shall be informed in this connection of the provisions of section 78, subsection 5.

Section 77
1. The application shall be dealt with in the presence of the public prosecutor. The sentenced person shall be given the opportunity to attend the hearing and to be assisted by his counsel.
2. The hearing of the application shall be conducted in open court, unless the District Court directs, at the request of the sentenced person or for important reasons specified in the record of the hearing, that it be conducted in closed session.
3. If the sentenced person has been deprived of his liberty by law by order of the ICC or of the authorities of a foreign State, he may be transferred to the District Court to attend the hearing.

Section 78
1. The Court shall examine the identity of the sentenced person, the admissibility of the application of the public prosecutor and the possibility of enforcing the decision of the ICC in the Netherlands and the facts and circumstances of importance to its decision.
2. The public prosecutor and the sentenced person and his counsel shall be given the opportunity to be heard at the hearing of the District Court.
3. The District Court shall be bound by the determination of the facts on which the ICC manifestly based its decision. It shall not reinvestigate these facts.
4. Articles 260 paragraph 1, 268, 269 paragraph 5, 271 paragraph 1, 272, 273 paragraph 3, 274-277, 278 paragraph 2, 279, 280, 281, 286 paragraphs 1, 4, 5 and 6, 293, 299, 300, 301 paragraphs 1, 2, 4 and 5, 310, 311 paragraphs 2-4, 315-317, 319, 320, 322 paragraphs 1 and 2, 324, 326, 327, 328-331, 345 paragraphs 1-3, 346 and 347 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis.
5. If the public prosecutor has refused in accordance with section 76, subsection 2 to call a witness, the sentenced person may request the District Court to order that the witness be called after all. The District Court shall grant this request if it considers that there were no reasonable grounds for the public prosecutor to arrive at that decision.
6. The articles referred to in subsection 4 shall not apply in so far as they relate to a witness whose identity is not known or only partially known.
7. The public prosecutor shall submit an opinion to the District Court after reading it out. If his opinion is that the request for enforcement should be granted, he shall describe the penalty or measure that should, in his view, be imposed instead of the penalty imposed by the ICC.
8. The public prosecutor may withdraw his application as referred to in section 73 provided that the investigation at the hearing has not been completed. He shall immediately inform the sentenced person of the withdrawal of the application.

Section 79
1. The District Court shall grant leave for enforcement of the decision of the ICC and shall impose, subject to the relevant provisions in the Statute, the penalty or measure which the corresponding offence carries under Dutch law. The ruling of the District Court must give reasons. Articles 353 and 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis.
2. Under no circumstances may the District Court impose a heavier penalty or measure than that determined by the ICC.
3. No legal remedy lies against the ruling. The ruling is enforceable forthwith.
4. The District Court shall immediately send Our Minister a certified copy of its ruling.
5. Articles 363 and 365 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis.

Section 80
Section 69, subsection 1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the enforcement of a penalty or measure imposed on the basis of section 79.

CHAPTER 4. ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES
§ 4. Enforcement of other penalties and orders
Section 82
1. Without prejudice to the other provisions of § 4 of this chapter, this article shall apply to a request of the ICC for enforcement of a forfeiture order.
2. When making his application as referred to in section 73, the public prosecutor shall also submit a list of objects or claims which have been seized pursuant to sections 61-63.
3. If the District Court grants leave to enforce a forfeiture order, it shall declare the relevant objects to be forfeited. In that case the District Court is not bound by limitations under article 33a, paragraph 1 (a) of the Criminal Code. If forfeiture of one or more objects is not possible, the District Court may declare that the objects concerned are withdrawn from circulation (onttrekking aan het verkeer) in accordance with articles 36b-36d of the Criminal Code.
4. If forfeiture or withdrawal from circulation of one or more of the objects is impossible, the District Court shall impose an obligation on the sentenced person to pay a sum of money to the State in order to deprive him of his illegally obtained advantage. Subject to the decision of the ICC, it shall determine the amount to be paid as the amount of the objects or the part thereof whose forfeiture or withdrawal from circulation is impossible.
5. Articles 552b, 552e and 552g of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis to rulings in so far as they impose a forfeiture or withdrawal from circulation.
6. Article 577b of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis to rulings in so far as they impose an obligation to pay a sum of money to the State by way of deprivation of an illegally obtained advantage.
7. Article 65 shall apply mutatis mutandis.

CHAPTER 4. ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES

§ 2. Provisional measures

Section 61
1. Following a request of the ICC for cooperation or for enforcement of a forfeiture order, a financial investigation may be initiated under the criminal law (strafrechtelijk financieel onderzoek) in accordance with the provisions of Part 9, Title IV, Book 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in order to determine whether any advantage illegally obtained by a person subject to investigation by the ICC is present or has been acquired in the Netherlands. For this purpose an illegally obtained advantage is deemed to include objects that have been acquired, directly or indirectly, by means of the crime of which the person concerned is suspected.
2. During a financial investigation under the criminal law, objects may be seized in accordance with article 94, paragraph 2, and article 94a, paragraph 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure only if there is good reason to believe that a request for enforcement of a forfeiture order will be made by the ICC in respect of such objects or that section 82, subsection 4 will be applied.
3. The public prosecutor shall notify Our Minister immediately of the institution or, as the case may be, conclusion of a financial investigation under the criminal law. At the same time he shall communicate all information useful for the ICC.
Section 62
1. Following a request of the ICC objects may be seized:
(a) in respect of which a forfeiture order may be issued by the ICC;
(b) to protect the right of recovery in respect of an obligation to be imposed in accordance with section 82, subsection 4 for payment of a sum of money to the State to deprive the person concerned of an illegally obtained advantage, or
(c) which can serve to prove an illegally obtained advantage.
2. Seizure as referred to in subsection 1 (a) and (b) may take place only if:
(a) it is permitted under Dutch law and
(b) there are good reasons to assume that a request for enforcement of a forfeiture order will be made by the ICC in respect of such objects or that section 82, subsection 4, will be applied.
Section 63
1. At the request of the ICC, objects may be seized in respect of which the ICC has issued a forfeiture order.
2. Seizure as referred to in subsection 1 may take place only if:
(a) it is permitted under Dutch law and
(b) there are good reasons to believe that the order referred to in subsection 1 will be enforced in the Netherlands in the near future.
Section 64
1. Those empowered to seize objects as referred to in articles 62 and 63 are the investigating judge and, in so far as the power is not reserved to the investigating judge, the public prosecutor and assistant public prosecutor. On the application of a public prosecutor, the investigating judge may exercise the powers to which he is entitled in a preliminary judicial investigation.
2. Articles 94b-94d, 96-119, 552a, 552c, 552ca, 552e and 556 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis.
Section 65
1. Where articles 552a or 552c of the Code of Criminal Procedure are applicable mutatis mutandis, the court shall not initiate a new investigation into the rights of interested parties if these rights have already been determined by the ICC in connection with a forfeiture order. The court may initiate a new investigation of this kind only if:
(a) such determination relates to rights in respect of immovable property situated in the Netherlands or property registered (registergoederen) in the Netherlands;
(b) such determination relates to the validity, nullity or dissolution of legal persons established in the Netherlands or the resolutions of their organs;
(c) such determination has occurred without the interested party having appeared and having been given timely notice of the proceedings;
(d) such determination is incompatible with a judicial decision given previously in respect of this matter in the Netherlands;
(e) recognition of such determination would be incompatible with Dutch public order.
2. If and as long as proceedings are pending before the ICC in respect of the rights of an interested party, a notice of complaint or an application by him shall not be admissible.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and