Following the arrest of Judge Enkeleda Hoxha by SPAK, various prominent figures have reacted.
Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj said it sends a “clear message to all judges that make illegal decisions.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the news of her arrest was long-awaited news and that all corrupt judges should be brought to justice.
“This news should encourage anyone who expects justice for the crimes of corrupt judges and prosecutors and I hope that this sludge is brought to justice,” he wrote on Twitter.
He said that anyone who hasn’t passed the vetting must be prepared to answer and those that continue to abuse the system must be stopped.
Former Democratic MP Agron Shehaj also welcomed the news, stating it was a “good start to punish those who sell their position to enrich themselves.”
He said that the real change will start in Albania when there is an end to impunity for all judges, politicians, and corrupt public employees.
“Decades of impunity has made politicians, judges, and government officials arrogant and confident they are above the law…” he wrote on Facebook.
American Ambassador Yuri Kim gave a statement to the media following the arrests. She said it was a great example of the work of SPAK and that the justice reform is being implemented step-by-step.
President Ilir Meta stated that anyone who violates the law should be punished. “It is important that anyone who breaks the law and abuses his office is punished. There is no need for comments, as evidence and facts are needed, even for high-level judges and prosecutors,” he told reporters on Friday.
The Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK) ordered the arrests of Judge Enkeleda Hoxha in Kruja and nine other people on Thursday on charges of corruption. The group is suspected to have implemented a scheme for the reduction of sentences and the eventual release of convicts from prison.
The court approved the arrests, and decided for all suspects to be detained in prison during the course of the trial, the authorities announced on Thursday.
