Former Prison Director and ex-Socialist Party MP Arben Çuko has been acquitted by the court on charges of passive corruption.
Judge Sokol Toma of the Court of Tirana dismissed the case at a preliminary hearing on the grounds that the prosecution did not bring any evidence linking Çuko to the charges.
Çuko was arrested on 18 October 2018 on charges of “passive corruption” while he was General Director of Prisons (2017-2018). The minister of justice had dismissed him only one month before the expected arrest. He was suspected of accepting bribes in return of approving leaves for convicts.
The former Socialist MP was detected from police phone interceptions of the notorious Avdylaj criminal group in Shijak/Durres, who were involved in the Albanian Electiongate wiretaps, besides drug trafficking and other criminal activities. Gang members with close ties to the ruling Socialist Party and Mayor of Durres Vangjush Dako were arrested in a drug trafficking operation demanded by the German government.
In one of the cases, involving the transfer of Olsi Karagjozi – convicted of murder, Çuko was suspected to have profited a car and money.
Çuko’s voice also appears on wiretaps, taking instructions from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Cabinet to hire one woman for a particular role. Data from Voice of America showed dozens of messages that indicate similar phone calls regarding employees, and that such incident was a part of Çuko’s daily routine.
Three weeks after the arrest Çuko was released from prison and put in house arrest. In a second decision, the court freed him from house arrest in August 2019. Today’s court decision acquitted the former Socialist MP on all corruption charges.
