Alqi Bllako, a Socialist member of parliament, has resigned his parliamentary seat, opening the way for his arrest after he was charged with corruption for the time he served as a public administration officer.
On Tuesday, the Special Prosecution against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK) issued an arrest warrant for Bllako, charging him with corruption regarding the Fier waste incinerator. The charges concern his time as Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, when he is suspected of having colluded with the minister in embezzling money.
After the publication of the arrest warrant, Bllako stated that he would resign from his seat, thus cutting short the procedure for his arrest.
In Albania, members of parliament have immunity from arrests. A parliamentary committee should convene upon a prosecution request to strip immunity from an MP and the procedure can take several days or weeks, depending on the case.
The ruling Socialist Party made it clear that they are going to strip Bllako of his parliamentary immunity following prosecution charges.
Throughout his years in power, Prime Minister Edi Rama has maintained that responsibility in his party and government is always personal.
“I have decided to submit tomorrow to the Speaker of the Assembly the resignation from my mandate as deputy of the Republic of Albania, and to face the charges without any privileges. As an ordinary citizen, as a responsible parent and family member; and above all as a public servant,” Bllako wrote on social media, adding that he has been a victim of political allegations.
Bllako is expected to be arrested soon once his resignation is formalized, less than a year since he was elected as MP in the April 2021 elections.
The former senior public administration officer faces charges of embezzling €120 thousand in an alleged corruption affair that the opposition estimates to amount to €430 million.
The opposition accuse Prime Minister Edi Rama of being the mastermind behind the affair, and have repeatedly requested SPAK to investigate the Albanian leader and his close associates who since 2014 have guided procedures to award newly created, inexperienced companies—all owned by the same people—three concession contracts for waste incinerators. The incinerators haven’t been constructed yet. Rama has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Read more: No Albanian Politician Charged in Latest Arrests over Waste Incinerators
