Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Bucci has criticized the media polemics and use of corruption accusations for political gain, while urging the judiciary to do its work freely on issues of corruption.
“Maximal support to the Albanian judicial authority for the full investigation of any episode of corruption or illegality […] Let the judges do their job peacefully, calmly and independently. It is up to them to distinguish facts from words. Useless polemics and its instrumentalization never help to verify the truth,” the ambassador tweeted on Monday.
It comes after the publication in the Italian and Albanian media of excerpts from an investigation into a mafia group in Italy. Tapped conversations among members of the group seem to show their attempts to launder money in Albania.
The opposition in Albania has accused the government of laundering the mafia money, while the majority has responded that its the opposition who has ties to the mafia.
The Italian police arrested nearly 50 people suspected of crimes committed in Italy in relation to the notorious ‘Ndrangheta mafia group.
Albania’s top prosecutor said they will get information from Italy before deciding whether there are grounds to launch an investigation in Albania.
