TIRANA, May 20 – A Tirana court sentenced Ardian Bitraj to 20 years in prison for the theft of about 5 million euros in cash from the Bank of Albania, where he was a former employee. Another central bank former employee, Mimoza Bruzia, received ten years.
Because Bitraj accepted a plea bargain to speed up the trial, he is expected to serve a little more than 13 years.
He had admitted to have taken the money to feed his gambling addiction.
Bank of Albania was shaken up after it found its treasury was missing about 713 million leks in cash a year ago.
Bitraj and Bruzia, two economists that worked at the bank, were accused of working together to take away large quantities from a treasury transfer room. Bitraj said he stole the cash in several occasions over four years.
Former bank governor Ardian Fullani was among more than 20 former bank officials detained in the case — primarily for dereliction of duty in not preventing the theft.
