Albanian Helsinki Committee Reproaches Prosecution: No One Who Has Failed The Vetting Is Being Investigated

The Albanian Helsinki Committee (KShH), currently monitoring the Justice Reform, reported that none of the judges and prosecutors dismissed due to their inability to justify their wealth are being investigated by the Prosecution Office. Head of the KShH Erinda Skëndaj explained:

According to the Criminal Procedure Code, when administrative organs, like KPK, find evidence of a crime during their administrative investigation, they are bound to hand it over to the Prosecution Office.

To date, there has been only one case in which KPK handed over the file of a vetting to subject to the Prosecution Office. Even then, the Prosecution decided against pursuing an investigation.

So far, at a time when 34 judges and prosecutors have faced the Independent Qualification Commission (KPK) and 15 of them have been dismissed, the Prosecution has only opened an investigation into former judge Admir Thanza. However, even in Thanza’s case, the judge is being investigated for lying in his self-declaration, not for concealing his assets.