Ex-deputy minister of Albania cleared of graft

TIRANA, July 4 – Albania’s former Deputy Transport Minister, Nikolin Jaka, was declared innocent by the Tirana Appeals Court. He had been earlier sentenced for illegally influencing a public tender.
In September 2007 A Tirana court had sentenced him to 19 months in prison for corruption in public tenders.
Nikolin Jaka was also fined 1.2 million lek and barred from holding public office for three years. The court ruled that Jaka took bribes to award state contracts to private companies.
Four former ministry officials and two businessmen were also sentenced to between 18 months and three years in prison in connection with the same case. They were fined up to 1.6 million lek.
In addition to Jaka, the district court sentenced four other officials but their sentences were upheld by the appeals court.
They included Ilir Berzani, the general director of roads at the Ministry of Transport, who will serve a two-year prison sentence and will pay a 1,300 fine. The officials have been charged with favoring several companies among those tendering for the construction of a number of roads.
Corruption is a major issue in Albania, despite government pledges to improve the situation.
European Union has expressed concern over how Albanian authorities were fighting corruption and ensuring government control over the entire Balkan nation.
Jaka was the highest Albanian official found guilty of corruption-related charges in more than 15 years.
Transparency International claims Albania is among the most corrupt in Europe and says graft is an endemic part of life in the country.
Prosecutors are expected to appeal the case in the Supreme Court