Bundestag member Thorsten Frei of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU declared today that the investigations into the Xhafaj case are being closely followed by Germany.
In an interview with newspaper Panorama, Frei, who is also CDU’s reporter for Albania, stated that the independent investigation and the way in which the case will be handled by the judiciary will be important for Germany as it decides on Albania’s opening of EU accession negotiations.
Some of Frei’s main statements included:
I am following the case [of Minister Xhafaj and his brother] closely. It is important to note how Albanian politicians and lawmakers will handle this. It is a case of credibility.
The accusations [against Minister Xhafaj of amending the law and impeding the enforcement of laws] are rather serious. Above all, it should be in the interest of the Albanian government to clear this up quickly.
For me, the behavior of the Minister himself is decisive. It must be clear that he did not break the law to protect his brother. This requires an independent investigation.
The opening of accession negotiations should, in the first place, depend on whether Albania has fulfilled the conditions. This is especially relevant in issues of the law or the fight against organized crime and corruption.
I have always stressed that it is very important that every Albanian citizen be equal before the law, and that the powerful do not receive impunity. In this regard, cases like [Xhafaj’s] will always be ample tests of the reform in general.
We will collect all the information available, will form a general picture, and then draft our recommendation [regarding the opening of the accession negotiations] accordingly.
