Six justice officials arrested on corruption charges

TIRANA, Dec. 9 – Six justice officials, including a judge and a prosecutor, in the northern district of Puka have been put under arrest accused of bribery.
The move came after a private television station, Top Channel, broadcast how a man was asked to pay hefty bribes to release his sons arrested for taking part in a protest.
The case showed how he was asked to pay 550,000 lek for each of his six sons, an amount that was distributed between the prosecutor, the judge and other officials.
The judge in question was arrested, after the High Council of Justice, the justice system top executive body, told the prosecutor’s office that it was free to proceed with charges.
Besides the prosecutor, the other arrested persons are staff of the court in Puke and also attorneys.
Fighting corruption seems to be the main task in the job of the new government at this moment, when it is also pressing Europe to give the country its candidate status.
And justice has been Albania’s Achilles’ heel in the last two post-communist decades.