Multiple arrests made in high-profile corruption case linked to hospital sterilization concession
TIRANA, Aug. 17, 2023 – In a significant move that follows years of public accusations on ruling party officials, Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has made several arrests connected to a contentious hospital sterilization concession granted eight years ago. Among those arrested were former Deputy Minister …
Op/Ed: The Beleri case as bellwether for democracy in Albania
By GENC POLLO The standard definition of a political prisoner is “someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner’s detention”. If it still holds Albania might have gotten one. Fredi Beleri, who ran on an opposition ticket in the local …
Father and son arrested for cannabis cultivation
Father and son were arrested this Wednesday morning for cannabis cultivation in Lazarat village. The 51-year-old and the 28-year-old were caught by drones used in the operation, tending to the 50 cannabis plants they had planted in the yard of their apartment. The drug was seized as material evidence while …
SPAK-Guardia di Finanza Operation, six arrested on drug trafficking
New details have been revealed from the international anti-drug operation developed by the Albanian police in cooperation with the Italian Guardia Di Financa and the American DEA. Journalist Xhensila Kodra reports that the 4 rafts left on Tuesday afternoon from Patoku, while the sailboat left from Montenegro. More than 20 …
Teen died as two Jet Skis collide in Himara
A 16-year-old man who was driving one of the two Jet Skis that collide on Tuesday afternoon on the beach of Llamani in Himare has died. The 16-year-old was transported to Tirana but could not survive. Initially, it was reported that they jumped from the cliff into the sea, but …
“We will punish anyone who violates the law”, Balla visits injured policeman in Himara
The Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla and the Director DVP Vlora Ermal Muçaj were present at the Vlora Regional Hospital, to visit the Police officer, who is receiving treatment at this hospital, after he was stabbed yesterday evening during the out-of-hours intervention to prevent the escalation of a conflict. …
A policeman was stabbed by a 60 year old
A police officer was stabbed after he intervened to stop a conflict between several people in Himare. The incident took place around 11:00 pm on Tuesday near Pilur village turn. The 28-year-old, on duty as a police inspector in the Lukovo area, was crossing the street outside of working hours …
SPAK sends the file for trial for former mayor Fran Tuci
The Special Anti-Corruption Structure has completed the investigations and sent the file for trial of the former mayor of Fushe-Arrezi Fran Tuci, who is accused of abuse of office and destruction of property. According to SPAK, the former mayor, in violation of the law, has allowed the opening of a …
Anti-drug operation in Tirana/ One of the arrested, part of ‘Self-determination movement’
Besnik Mujeci, one of the five arrested from the coded operation “PUNISHER 2”, in which a criminal group that trafficked from Kosovo to Albania narcotics, ecstasy, MDMA, was hit, turns out to be part of the Vetëvendosje Movement. More specifically, he is a member of the municipal assembly of Pristina. Two …
Begaj passes the laws about medical cannabis and students
President Bajram Begaj quietly passes the two much-discussed laws, the one on medical cannabis and medical students. Monday evening was the deadline when the President would decree the two laws that were approved in the last session in the Parliament, on July 20. He has decided not to put his …
Regarding the protest held in front of the premises of the Tirana Municipality, the EU delegation also reacted. In the reaction on the X platform, the EU delegation states that it condemns the violence, also underlines that such acts have no place in a democratic society and have nothing to …
The Independent Qualification Commission dismissed the Tirana judge, Agron Zhukri. Agron Zhukri is the judge who gave the seal of the Democratic Party to Sali Berisha. According to KPK, Zhukri has resulted in problems in the wealth criterion. “Zhukri has undergone the verification process regarding the property. According to the …
The police of Tirana have arrested the 38-year-old after the Court of First Instance, of the General Jurisdiction of Tirana, assigned this citizen the security measure “Arrest in prison” for the criminal offense of “Extortion by means of threats or violence, for giving of wealth”, carried out in collaboration. Also, …
Ahkodra Prosecution Office seized the assets of citizen Ago Gjolaj who is under investigation for commiting the criminal offense ‘Money Laundering of Criminal Proceeds or Criminal Activity’ as provided for in Article 287 of the Criminal Code. Upon reviewing the denunciation submitted by the General Directorate of State Police, it …
The Speaker of the Assembly, Lindita Nikolla, welcomes the decision of APKiE to remove Albania from the monitoring system. In a post on social networks, Nikolla says that this decision is a reaffirmation of the consolidation of democracy in Albania. Among other things, Nikolla thanks the delegation of the Assembly …
The work continues to find the 3-year-old, where according to the mother of the little boy, he was kidnapped by his grandparents. The blue uniforms indicate that the citizen Rexhep Gjuni, the 3-year-old’s grandfather, 60 years old, and the grandmother’s brother, Arben Selaj, 49, have been detained in connection with …
A 47-year-old man was captured by the police after an operation against the production and trafficking of narcotics, cannabis. The coded operation “First step” has been finalized after an investigation of several weeks. While nearly 2 thousand cannabis seeds were seized. So the procedural materials were passed to the Prosecution …
A 46-year-old member of a criminal group for heroin trafficking was arrested in Kavaja with the intention of extradition to Italy. The Court of Catanzaro, Italy, in July 2023, assigned the security measure “Arrest in prison”, for the criminal offense “Participation in a criminal group, for the purpose of drug …
Chief Prosecutor Olsian Çela has reported to the High Prosecution Council regarding the annual report of the General Prosecution for 2023. “The year 2023 was a challenging year for the prosecutions of the general jurisdiction due to administrative and procedural issues related to the implementation of the new judicial map …
The Special Court passed for trial the file in charge of the former mayor of the municipality of Durrës Vangjush Dakos and other former officials accused of abuse of office and falsification of documents. Dako was not present at Wednesday’s session, while he is accused of abuse of office in …