Investigations on crime, anti-mafia prosecutor sounds the alarm for Albania

Investigations on crime, anti-mafia prosecutor sounds the alarm for Albania

In her speech, Minister Etila Gjonaj said the priority of the Albanian government is the fight against organized crime:

She stated: “The fight against organized crime is an absolute priority of the Albanian Government, which is engaged in all of its capacities in this major challenge.

“Italy as a neighboring country and all the other European Union countries have always been proactive in any initiative undertaken by the Albanian Government in the fight against organized crime.

Meanwhile she emphasizing that the Anti-Crime package will soon be presented.

“The Anti-Crime package will be presented very soon and aims to bring legislative changes and significant interventions to the current legal framework, including: reforming of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania,” said Gjonaj.

She continued by saying that there has been extraordinary progress in the opening of negotiations for Albania's integration into the European Union. Stating: 

“Albania is at a decisive stage for its European future and we hope that in June the European Union Council will take the decision to open up talks with Albania on its EU membership.

“Our country has undertaken tremendous efforts for approximation with European standards and for the fulfillment of the criteria for opening membership talks,”

Meanwhile, the Italian Anti-Mafia prosecutor, Federico Cafiero De Raho, warned that the mafia in Albania is a concrete threat.

He stated: “In the interview that I mentioned, Ambassador Soreca foresees a scenario where incomes from the crime organization will be redirected into invests in Albania; the mafia could potentially become the main investor in Albania and that would be a terrible fact.

“The denounced risk is concrete and the alarm bells are accepted by us all.

“Illegal reinvestments alongside corruption, and the bond between these two, produces the availability of large amounts of money coming from criminal and illegal activities and can create investment facilities of this dirty money in the lawful economy,” 

He also added: “Even according to the most prestigious international agency that deals with organized crime in any country around the world, there is not only a direct relation, but a mutual relationship between corruption and the economic importance of drug trafficking, but also a direct relationship between the strengthening of large criminal organizations that traffic drugs and seep into the political administration.

EMISIONET