Albania's Top Prosecutor Slams Judicial Immunity

Balkan Insight.com
Tirana | 23 October 2009 | Besar Likmeta

Ina Rama

Albanian General Prosecutor Ina Rama has called 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 on Thursday 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.

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.

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Bulgaria Prosecutor to Release Full List of Corrupt Magistrates

Crime | November 5, 2009, Thursday

Bulgaria Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, has stated that the full list of people who have been in contact with “Krasio from Pleven’ will be published in a few days time.

Velchev, speaking after attending the Bulgarian Parliament, said that with the help of the State National Security Agency (DANS) the list would be published to stop speculation as to who is in Krasio’s little black book.

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) earlier announced the names of five new magistrates, who have been in contact with the famous businessman ‘Krasio from Pleven’.

Tsoni Tsonev, the Chairman of the corruption commission at VSS, stated late Wednesday that the total number of magistrates who have liaised with ‘Krasio’ had now been confirmed as 18.