Four policemen, other officials arrested, charged on corruption

KORCA, June 1 – Police reported they had arrested four road policemen accused of exploiting their post for personal financial profit.
The interior ministry statement said that the four policemen were being investigated for some months on corruption charges. They stopped cars and other vehicles at the Korca-Pogradec road segment and accepted certain amounts of money in exchange of not setting the legal fine for the administrative mistakes they had done in driving.
The ministry said the investigation was continuing for other persons likely to have been involved in such cases.
In another case three persons were arrested also on corruption charges. These three persons worked for a private company and the customs in Kapshtica border crossing point. They were accused of exploiting their post for letting the company smuggle goods without paying the proper taxes.
Two doctors were also accused of corruption following some months of investigation. Janaq Kasapi, 54, and Arti Qosja, 38, working at Mbreteresha Geraldine maternity home in capital Tirana, were accused of corruption and released on probation.
The investigation found out that after every birth surgery they were compensated with half a million leks.
Three officials of the fuel checking department were arrested also on corruption charges. Virgjil Joti, Luan Qato and Kastriot Llakaj had asked for $20,000 to let free a ship bringing fuel int he country. In eight months they had asked a businessmen to pay $10,000 for each ship he brought with fuel and they had profited $100,000.