Prosecutor General Requests the Lift of Former Minister’s Immunity

TIRANA – Albania’s Prosecutor General Ina Rama has asked parliament to lift the immunity of former Defense Minister Mediu. He has been accused of abuse of post in connection with the deadly ammunition depot explosion that killed 26 persons in March.
Mediu resigned two days after the March 15 disaster.
Besides the deaths and injuries, the blast also destroyed or damaged some 5,500 houses, at a cost estimated at about two billion leks ($26 million; 16.6 million Euros), according to Rama.
Rama noted that violations of the law, procedures of technical security and ammunition storage, the dismantling process and further management of the process had “caused the spark of the fire followed with the massive explosions,” that had threatened the life and security of the people employed at the dismantling factory and nearby residents.
The prosecutor also said, “a flagrant violation in this process has been the employment of children.”
The prosecutor said that Mediu’s ‘actions and non-actions’ have broken a series of laws and procedures on security standards and accused him of being biased in favor of the U.S.-Albanian company dismantling munitions for ‘unfair profit’ that damaged the country’s economic interests.
Mediu denied he had any legal responsibility for the munitions contract.
He even went further, directing his statement to a person, or group, he claims is trying to exploit the situation to harm him. He did not make clear to whom he was directing that threat but insisted he was not responsible for the blast.
Mediu also blamed the army for all the procedural failings prior to the disaster.
Southern Ammunition company in South Carolina, USA had created a joint venture with Albania’s Albademil company to dismantle some 18,000 tons of small and large caliber ammunition which the Albanian government would receive only $583,000.
Selling powder and metal is a main source of income for the government, bringing in hundreds of millions of Euros.
The report by the investigative group also said transporting the ammunition would cost half a million dollars, and was to be paid by the government.
Accordingly, that meant the government would only see an $83,000 profit.
Rama charges that Mediu had insisted on Gerdec being the site for the dismantling process, despite being so close to Tirana and Mother Teresa Tirana International Airport.
A fact considered important by investigators is that neither the Albanian or U.S.-based companies involved in the disarmament of munitions ever received a license to do this work. Rama clearly notes that Mediu had been biased towards SAC-Albademil receiving the contract and earned its money illegally, though it did not say whether Mediu himself profited.
Additional facts took note that Albademil paid no rent to the government for using the former military base at Gerdec.
The report also contends that Mediu had prevented the military from monitoring the disposal process.
Three people, including a Defense Ministry official, the owner, and the manager of the Albanian company that was carrying out the arms disposal, have been arrested for allegedly violating laws on explosives. Two other senior officials have also been charged.
Meanwhile, the Socialist-led opposition has accused the government of corruption in dealing with the disposal of obsolete weapons and urged Prime Minister Sali Berisha to resign.
About 100,000 tons of excess ammunition, mostly Russian and Chinese artillery shells made in the 1960s or earlier, are stored in former army depots across Albania.
NATO members, including the United States, Canada and Norway, have been helping Albania dispose of this arsenal.
Prosecutor General Ina Rama did not deny that her office was also investigating weapons trafficking and reviewing information that the ammunition could have been sold illegally through that company.