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Albania Judge Under Investigation for Corruption
Tirana | 02 December 2009 |
Albania’s High Council of Justice lifted on Wednesday the immunity of the Serious Crimes Court Judge Marsela Balili, following a request from General Prosecutor Ina Rama.
Balili will be investigated on passive corruption charges, after the arrest of her husband, Aleksander Plepi, a prosecutor suspected of mediating to lower the conviction of a drug trafficker, who was being tried by Balili.
Plepi was charged with accepting a 50,000 euro bribe in order for his wife to lower the conviction of Besnik Braka, a convicted drug trafficker. Plepi has denied any wrongdoing and is currently under house arrest.
General Prosecutor Ina Rama called in October for a constitutional amendment that would restrict the immunity of judges, in order to strengthen the fight against corruption in the judiciary.
“It’s problematic because [while] prosecutors can be investigated without hassles, we don’t have the possibility to investigate judges, who are granted immunity by the constitution,” Rama said at a conference on judicial reform.
“If the General Prosecutor’s Office seeks the authorisation to investigate a judge on corruption-related charges, the investigation has already become public and it its difficult to move forward,” she said, adding: “It’s not possible to investigate a judge on corruption, if he knows that he is being investigated.”
Rama also spoke out against corporatism in the judicial system, illustrating her argument with cases where prosecutors arrested on corruption charges were set free by the courts. Source: Balkaninsight
A month ago the High Council of Justice lifted the immunity of yet another judge, Qani Hasi, of the Elbasan District court under investigation for corruption. Hasa has denied the charges.
According to the 2009 European Commission progress report, judicial reform in Albania remains in its early stages, with little progress made thereon in the last year.
“Key pieces of legislation needed to complete the legal framework have not been adopted and the justice system continues to function poorly due to shortcomings in independence, transparency and efficiency,” the report found. Source: Balkaninsight
