TIRANA, Sept. 7 – An Albanian lawmaker has been arrested and is facing charges for his alleged involvement in a shootout that left seven people wounded early Sunday.
Parliament has given prosecutors the green light to charge Armando Prenga, a Socialist member of parliament from Lezha County, who was arrested immediately after he and members of his family clashed with another group in the vicinity of the Laৠpolice station.
Prenga faces charges of intentionally causing serious injury, illegal possession of weapons and uttering threats, said a statement by Nik Nikollaj, the police chief of Kurbin Municipality, where Laৠis located. Several other people involved in the fight have also been arrested, police said.
The conflict related to fishing rights in the Patok Lagune, according to lawyers for both sides.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said there would be zero tolerance for MPs breaking the law and urged prosecutors to do their job.
“No one is above the law, lawmakers included,” Rama said on Twitter.
In a statement issued through his lawyer, Prenga said he had acted in self defense and expressed anger over the treatment he had received from his party and for the way the opposition was using the situation for political gain.
Opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha said the events were the latest example of Prime Minister Rama’s affair with people with criminal ties.
“Above the law, and against the law, crime and criminals have become one with power,” Basha said in a statement.
Prenga is the third member of parliament from the ruling Socialist-led coalition to be arrested since Rama’s government came to power in 2013.
The prime minister has increasingly come under fire from critics and the opposition for allowing people with dubious pasts and reputations to become members of parliament and take other public offices.
Under controversial constitutional and legislative changes done in 2008, the party leaders have final say on all candidates for parliament. Several analysts have said the composition of parliament has suffered as a result.
