Opposition Accuses Government Of Hampering Prosecutor Office

TIRANA, July 30 – Erjon Brace, deputy head of the main opposition Socialist Party parliamentary group, accused the government Wednesday of trying to block the work of the prosecutor’s office investigating the Gerdec blast that killed 26 and injured 300 persons.
Brace said that the recent government reshuffle were exploited by Prime Minister Sali Berisha in a sign of a challenge to the prosecutor general’s office.
Last week the prosecutors changed the charges to head of the ministry’s Meico export-import company Ylli Pinari, owner of AlbDemil Mihal Delijorgji and his manager Dritan Minxolli from negligence to murder, that may take them up to life imprisonment if proved true.
The opposition also urged the prosecutors to deepen their process and investigation against “this structured criminal group that starts the road, extends to the parliament and sits down at the government, whose actions have not been causal but pre-mediated based on the criminal goal of exploiting public properties Što profit goods in an illegal and criminal way.”
The opposition has accused Mediu and Berisha of personally profiting from the business of the excess ammunition that was disposed at the Gerdec factory and have asked for his resignation.
Though in words saying he did not want to impose a political influence on the prosecutors, Brace said that “the prosecutor office should understand that the investigation of the Gerdec state crime is closely linked with its real, not formal, existence in the eyes of the public opinion of the Albanian society,” meaning it is closely linked with the premier and his administration.
The opposition also urged the prosecutors to deepen their investigation on an alleged illegal arms sale of the defense ministry, for which some U.S. citizens (who have been contracted for the Gerdec ammunition disposal as well) are accused in the United States of using Chinese-made ammunition for the Afghan army, a move considered illegal in the States. “The investigation of these two crimes is vital. The punishment of the officials in those crimes is the real fight against corruption. They (officials) are the real black corruptive balance that cannot be manipulated by Berisha,” said the opposition lawmaker.