TIRANA, Feb. 6 – Albania’s High Justice Council is pursuing a disciplinary case against Elbasan District Court Judge Pajtime Fetahu, who was recently suspended over charges of passive corruption.
Fetahu was suspended following the broadcast of video recording a television investigative show, Klan TV’s Stop, which indicated Fetahu received a bribe of €2,000 to reduce the sentence of a man, a reduction that meant he could leave detention.
The judge was recorded in 2016 making bargains with a middleman and promising to seek the assistance of the case prosecutor so that the case is solved rapidly.
The television show’s hidden footage appears to show the judge accepting money and guaranteeing the relatives of the convict that the ruling will be in their favor. The video showed that the convict was released from jail while his family members claimed to have paid a total of €3,500 for his release.
As soon as the footage was broadcast authorities launched the investigation against the judge, who is facing “passive corruption” charges, while the High Crimes Court ruled in favor of her suspension.
In a four-page decision, the High Council of Justice said the judge has violated all regulations and made illegal pleas outside court with one of the parties in trial while the case was still ongoing and accepted inappropriate interventions to rule over a case.
The latest corruption scandal involving a district judge comes at a time when authorities are about to implement the justice reform and the vetting process aimed at uprooting corruption from the country’s justice system.
