TIRANA, Feb.1 – A former minister of the previous right-wing government was arrested on Friday night by local police in the southern town of Gjirokastra after a warrant for his arrest was issued by Tirana Prosecution Office. Spiro Ksera, a member of the Greek minority, is accused of having appropriated money during the time he was Minister of Labor, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, a post he held between 2009 and 2013.
Prosecutors believe Ksera is responsible for embezzling approximately Euro 234,500 through the setting up of several activities on disadvantaged minorities which in reality never took place. Five other officials of the Ministry of Labor are believed to have participated in this fictitious scheme, including the former minister’s chief of cabinet Klevis Bitro, who is currently serving a sentence on forgery charges.
Ksera was arraigned in court on Sunday where judge Ilir Celiku remanded Ksera in custody pending trial. The former minister considered his arrest as politically motivated, whereas Ksera’s lawyer Genc Gjokutaj maintained his client’s innocence saying he will appeal the court’s decision. General Prosecutor Adriatik Llalla has said that the case was initially referred to the prosecution office by the Supreme State Audit for abuses committed by Ksera’s chief of cabinet and that during further investigations prosecutors found other violations which also implicated the minister himself.
Llalla said during an interview for Top Channel this week, that the arrest of the former labor minister ‘won’t be the last’, adding that prosecutors are currently investigating other cases involving high level officials without specifying which. This is the first high-profile arrest in Albania ahead of a sweeping reform in the country’s judicial system. Albania’s General Prosecution Office has continuously been under fire for not doing enough in the fight against corruption, particularly regarding cases involving high level politicians in the country.
