Why the unconstitutional nomination of a Temporary General Prosecutor may be a threat for the future of the Justice reform and of the Albanian democracy? A short reminder of the facts is necessary to understand the dangerous impasse Albania is facing today.

> 2013 : DP launches the decriminalization process after several MPs, Mayors, City Councillors, Senior Officials including among Police forces, are accused of heavy criminal records and malpractices in they public and political activity.

> 2014 : Top-state officials and politicians, including Minister of Interior Tahiri, are accused supporting cannabis production throughout the country at unprecedented scale.

> 2015 : The local elections are heavily influenced after massive vote-buying and criminal gangs involvement during an electoral campaign fueled by illicit profits from cannabis trafficking.

> 2016 : A bi-partisan consensus vote of the Justice reform is ensured, albeit under heavy doubts that the ruling majority is seeking to capture the justice system in order to ensure the future impunity of criminals involved in politics, their backing of cannabis production and funding of vote-buying.

> 2017 : Legislative elections under the sign of massive vote-buying; no big-fishes arrested; illicit traffics explode; Police support to criminal networks proved amid Tahiri wiretaps scandal… while the Constitution is violated by the same ruling majority wishing to have a “politically kidnapped” Temporary General Prosecution.

Some of the most flagrant scandals of the current government in details:

JANUARY 14th, 2015 – THE XIBRAKA CASE
Following a direct request from the German Bundeskriminalamt / Hannover Prosecution Office, Albanian Special Police stormed the largest cocaine refinery in the Balkans, in Xibraka (Elbasan) south of Tirana on 14 January 2015 and arrested the criminal group running it. Amid the arrested and later convicted is the nephew of the former communist dictator Enver Hoxha. There are widespread allegations that Olsi Rama, the brother of PM Edi Rama was also involved “Click HERE for more.”

MAY 13th, 2016 – GREECE’S REQUEST TO ARREST BALKANS’ ESCOBAR FAILS
Albanian authorities fail to apply an International Warrant issued by Greek authorities to arrest Klement Balili, considered as the Escobar of the Balkans and one of the biggest drug traffickers of the region according to reports from the DEA and the Greek police authorities. Former Regional Director of the road infrastructure in the south of the country, Balili lives freely in Albania and participates openly to family gatherings and social events. A former Minister of Justice, Mr. Ylli Manjani (member of the SMI party), has made strong accusations against Saimir Tahiri (at the time Minister of Interior) for his unwillingness to arrest Balili albeit the international warrant on him. Manjani was sacked by Rama immediately after this declaration on January 2017. Manjani’s brutal sacking and public accusations happened at the same time as the instalment of the opposition tent. It shall be noted that Balili nephew is Mayor of the city of Delvina. “Click HERE for more.”

APRIL 3rd, 2017 – THE DECRIMINALIZATION PROCESS
In an official declaration, the Prosecution office states that it has reached up to 400 cases of current and former MPs, Mayors, local elected councilors and high senior officials that fall within the decriminalization law investigations. Out of these, 119 have hidden their previous convictions and criminal records while filling their decriminalization file. The most prominent case is that of the socialist Mayor of Kavaja, Elvis Rroshi, who had five different identities (names) so he could hide his convictions for drug smuggling in Switzerland and gang-rape in Italy. Rama has continuously praised Rroshi as being a role model of the city of Kavaja. “Click HERE for more.”

OCTOBER 16th, 2017 – THE ITALIAN WIRETAPS SCANDAL
The Italian wiretaps scandal erupts. The Habilaj’s brother, cousins of former Minister of Interior Tahiri, are arrested in Italy as part of a large organized crime gang having trafficked more than 300 million euros of cannabis and ammunition since as late 2013. The Italian wiretaps confirm the opposition’s previous accusation that the Habilaj cousins were Tahiri’s protégés (use of the Minister’s personal car, travelling together abroad, untouchable status by the police, influence to shut down sea Police radars etc). The Habilaj’s are wiretapped saying that Tahiri could spend up to 20 million euros during a single electoral campaign and that he can make up to five million in a month. “Click HERE for more.”

OCTOBER 25th, 2017 – RAMA’S CONFLICT WITH THE PROSECUTION
The ruling majority refuses the official request of the Albanian Prosecution to lift Tahiri’s MP immunity so he can be investigated on the links between the Habilaj’s gang activity and the potential support they have benefited from Tahiri. PM Rama made several strong declarations against the Prosecution office threating and directly interfering into the justice system independence. Following this pressure, the EPP published a statement calling upon the full investigation of the Tahiri scandal from the Prosecution office. “Click HERE for more.”

OCTOBER 30th, 2017 – “ALBALEAKS” AND SECRET SERVICES DIRECTOR RESIGNATION
General Director of Albanian Secret Services resigns amid surprise decision, which is followed by the eruption of the “Albaleaks” scandal in the subsequent weeks. The scandal refers to the anonymous leak of a Secret Service report, confirming that PM Rama has been constantly informed on the support high-level Police officers were giving to cannabis producers and traffickers during the 2015/17 period. 128 police officers are named in the report, accompanied by the detailed official notes informing state authorities, including the PM. “Click HERE for more.”

NOVEMBER 1st, 2017 – TAHIRI’S 850.000 EUROS AND SAILING LICENSES SCANDAL
Orest Sota, a young entrepreneur (25) and close friend of Former Minister of Saimir Tahiri, is caught while driving with more than 850.000 euros in cash from undeclared sources. During the control of the vehicle, police found in addition two sailing licenses of up to 100 tons, named after Saimir Tahiri, albeit he has publicly declared he has never owned a boat. The finding of Tahiri’s sailing licenses confirm previous widespread allegations that the Habilajs’ were using not only Tahiri’s personal car, but also his speed-boat, as a mean to gain an “untouchable” status from Police control in their cannabis trafficking to Italy. At the moment of Sota’s interception, Tahiri’s house was being searched by Prosecution. “Click HERE for more.”

NOVEMBER 3rd, 2017 – ITALY REQUESTING THE “ARREST OF BIG FISHES”
The Italian Minister of Interior, during an official visit in Albania stated that the bulk cannabis seized in the Italian shores coming from Albania has quadrupled if compared to 12 tons on 2016, which is already a record amount per se. Until the end of December 2017, and including the recent seizures, the total quantity of seized cannabis directly linked to bulk trafficking from Albania has passed 45 tons, representing a market value of close to 400 million euros. This amount is believed to be 1/10 of the cannabis that has successfully entered the market. The Italian Minister of Interior stated during his visit that “We have to attack the untouchables, the criminal gangs and organizations that control that traffic, because in Albania, Italy, and Europe there are no untouchables.” Based on the official Italian (20% of Albanian territory controlled), the number of cannabis parcels has increased from 815 parcels representing 16.2 hectares on 2014, to 2086 parcels represent 213,5 ha during 2016. No major traffickers have been yet arrested except for the Habilaj brothers who were caught by Italian authorities. “Click HERE for more.”
NOVEMBER 20th, 2017 – DURRES MAYOR INVESTIGATED FOR DEAL WITH CRIME OVER VOTE-BUYING
Opposition leader Basha denounced the pressure over the Prosecutor of the city of Durres and the existence of another wiretaps scandal relating to the socialist mayor of Durres, Vangjush Dako. According to the opposition, there are several wiretapped communications between Dako and representatives of organized crime in which he promises public contracts and tenders in exchange for massively buying votes in favor of the Socialist Party. The prosecutor investigating the affair has been abruptly moved from Durres to another city in the north of the country. “Click HERE for more.”

NOVEMBER 22nd, 2017 – TAHIRI’S CHIEFS OF POLICE FLED PROSECUTORS’ WARRANT​
The Albanian Prosecution for Serious Crimes issued arrest warrants for three high-level Police Chiefs linked to the Habilaj gang criminal activity. All three arrests failed nevertheless as the three police chiefs had fled the country due to an internal leak from the Albanian police. The three police chiefs were appointed by Saimir Tahiri, at the time Minister of Interior. They are considered to be directly linked to the Habilaj’s gang and the cannabis record seizures in the city of Vlora (after their arrest) of 15 tons on July 17th 2017, and an additional of 10 tons on October 18th 2017. In the city of Shkodra, another senior Police official (brother of the National Border Police Deputy Chief) was caught trafficking 1.5 tons of cannabis during a routine road police control. All names were cited also in the “Albaleaks” Secret Services report. We shall remind that the brother of the current Minister of Interior, Agron Xhafaj, lives freely in Albania albeit he is convicted in Italy for cocaine trafficking. “Click HERE for more.”

DECEMBER 6th, 2017 – EUROPOL: ALBANIA IS THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF CANNABIS IN EUROPE
The Europol Agency considers cannabis as the largest part of the EU 24 billion euros drug market and points out that “Albania remains the main source of herbal cannabis trafficked in the EU”. The report also states that the Balkan route is considered as the main entry route for the bulk of the heroin trafficked to the EU. More disturbingly, the reports states that “Routes used to traffic cannabis and heroin traverse the same regions, such as the Western Balkans, that are also linked to terrorism-related activities including terrorism financing.” Similarly, the report finds that money laundering has risen with solely 1% of criminal proceeds confiscated reflecting the poor results of state authorities in anti-money laundering activities. The US State Department has also included Albania among what are considered problematic countries for money laundering activities. “Click HERE for more.”

DECEMBER 15th, 2017 – AFTER GERMAY, ALBANIA’S ASYLYM SEEKERS NO.1 ALSO IN FRANCE
During a visit in Tirana, the French Minister of Interior declared that the Albanian asylum-seekers in 2017 represented the first nationality in France, before Syrians and other nationalities in war (20% of the total requests). The French Ministry of Interior, like the Italian Ministry of Interior has done before, will deploy a special french police force in Albania to oversee and support the fight against cannabis as the Albanian-linked criminality. Last year, Albania was no.1 country of asylum seekers in Germany with close to 100.000 individuals. “Click HERE for more.” ​