Basha’s immunity to be discussed

TIRANA, Nov. 10 – Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli said last weekend that the demand from the prosecutor general’s office on lifting the immunity of Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha as part of an investigation from when he was Transport Minister would be discussed this week.
Topalli, who heads the Council of Rules of Procedures, Mandates and Immunities, said that the ruling majority would not oppose Basha’s removal of immunity to allow an investigation to continue on alleged abuses during the Durres-Kukes road project while he was Minister of Public Works.
However, Topalli added that the General Prosecutor’s Office should present additional documents before a decision was taken in parliament.
“I am in favor of the removal of immunity, and in my opinion each and every member of Parliament should be prepared to go to the Prosecutor’s Office,” Topalli said.
The opposition members in the Council, Petro Ko詠and Anxhelina Kola, blamed the Speaker for delaying the process and recalled that the ad hoc committee made the decision to propose the dismissal of General Prosecutor Theodhori Sollaku’s in only two weeks.
Prosecutor General Theodhori Sollaku has asked the parliament to lift Basha’s immunity so his office could thoroughly investigate the alleged scandal and abuse during the construction of the Rreshen-Kalimash road segment. The investigation began after many accusations were heard, including from the opposition, that Basha had abused his post in the way the international tender was held, in the way the winner was chosen and in possibly personally profiting during the tender selection. Basha and the government have rejected that claim. The opposition also said the governing majority ousted Sollaku to hide many corrupt and scandalous cases involving top officials, including the case of a government minister whom the Prosecutor’s office had requested having his immunity lifted to investigative an alleged corruption case. Meanwhile, Berisha has made it clear that any request from the Prosecutor’s office on the immunity of any lawmaker will be immediately fulfilled, in an effort to show transparency in the fight against corruption in the country.