BoA governor freed from house arrest

TIRANA, Nov. 6 – Adrian Fullani, the former Bank of Albania governor, has been freed from house arrest pending his trial, but ordered to make routine reports about his whereabouts to police.
Albania’s High Court lifted the measure of house arrest despite a prosecution request that he be returned to a holding cell ahead of his trial for dereliction of duty.
Fullani was arrested in early September as part of the investigation of the theft of the equivalent of $7 million the Bank of Albania. He was sacked by parliament shortly after.
Fullani is charged with abuse of post in the theft for not doing enough to stop what prosecutors say was an inside job led by a bank official.
Fullani has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer has said the charges are politically motivated. He faces up to seven years in jail if convicted.
Fullani, 59, was appointed governor in 2004, and was serving his second seven-year term when he was arrested.
The High Court also set the same bail conditions for former BoA General Inspector Elivar Golemi, who had been sitting in a jail cell since September.
Her long detention, while Fullani was allowed to go home, had raised eyebrows in many circles.
Another 14 bank employees have been charged in the case, and court proceedings have started for several of them.
One of those employees, Ardian Bitraj, has confessed to stealing the cash over four years.
He told prosecutors he had done so to feed his gambling addiction, betting large sums on the soccer World Cup.
Prosecutors say they don’t entirely believe his story, and authorities are working to recover some of the funds.