Today, the General Prosecution Office launched an investigation into High Court judge Admir Thanza, who stands accused of having falsified his self-declaration documentation.
Thanza failed to disclose a previous 40-day prison sentence in Italy for assisting in a robbery.
The conviction was unearthed during the Independent Qualification Commission (KPK) investigation, as part of the judge’s vetting process.
During the KPK hearing, Thanza claimed that he had taken responsibility for the robbery, but the crime was actually carried out by his sister-in-law, under economic duress, as her 9 year old child was sick.
Though Thanza was convicted in 1999, at a time when he was serving as a Shkodra prosecutor, none of the Albanian institutions responsible for conducting background checks had intercepted the infraction committed by the judge by neglecting to include this sentence in his self-declaration forms.
It was experts and representatives form the International Monitoring Operation (ONM) that unearthed the conviction.
As the Prosecution Office begins its investigation, the KPK ruling about whether or not Thanza will pass his vetting is expected to be announced tomorrow.
