Klement Balili, wanted by the Greek police, and in custody of the Albanian police following his decision to surrender this morning, cannot be extradited to Greece.
The Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code of Albania prescribe that extraditions can be executed only under agreements. Albania and Greece have not signed a bilateral agreement on extraditions.
The prosecution accuses Balili of international drug trafficking and participation in a structured criminal group. Following a ruling of the Court of Athens for the security measure “arrest in prison” to be executed on Balili, the Greek state put him on the Wanted list in 2016. Back then Balili was leading the Department of Roads Transportation in Saranda. Through an official request, Greece demanded the Albanian police to arrest him.
Instead of being extradited to Greece, Balili will be tried by the Albanian Serious Crimes Court. Minister of Interior Lleshaj confirmed this in his public statement today, saying that the Albanian state had offered Balili “a just legal process” in exchange of his surrender.
This is not the first time the Albanian courts handle criminal offences committed in other countries only because there are no extradition agreements. A similar case is that of the former Socialist Party Member of Parliament Mark Frroku.
Mark Frroku had been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Serious Crimes Court of Nivelles, Belgium for the murder of Aleksandër Kurti in 1999, following a clash between prostitution gangs.
He was arrested in Tirana, and in 2017 the Court of Serious Crimes ruled him innocent for the murder of the Albanian citizen in Belgium, for lack of sufficient evidence, even though the General Prosecution requested a 25-year prison sentence.
Mark Frroku was convicted in April 2017 by the First Instance Court of Tirana to 7 years and 6 months in prison for “concealing his wealth”, ”money laundering,” and “unlawful construction.” Three years later the Court of Fier released him on parole following his good behavior in prison.
