Judge accused of perjury in trial

TIRANA, Jan. 3 – General Prosecutor Ina Rama has asked the High Council of Justice to lift the immunity of Judge Albano Murataj in southeastern Korca city to start charges of perjury in a corruption case trial.
Murataj has been indicted by the prosecutor’s office in the town of Pogradec after allegedly giving false testimony in a corruption trial, contradicting his statements to prosecutors and facts related to the case.
“Murataj changed his testimony in the trial in favor of the defendant,” the general prosecutor’s office noted in a statement.
According to prosecutors, the immunity from prosecution that judges enjoy in Albania often hampers corruption investigations.
Chief prosecutor Ina Rama has called earlier for a constitutional amendment to lift the immunity barrier, arguing that the current regulations hamper the fight against corruption in the judiciary.
Corruption in the judiciary is Albania’s Achilles’ heel. All international reports say that corruption in the judiciary is hampering the country’s progress toward democracy and hampering the development of its economy.