TIRANA, Dec. 12 – An Albanian court ruled this week that former Minister of Interior Saimir Tahiri cannot leave the country while an investigation on his alleged ties with cannabis traffickers continues.
The court approved a request made by prosecutors in the context of the ongoing investigation on Tahiri and the Habilaj gang.
During an initial hearing with the parliament’s special body that prevented prosecutors from arresting Tahiri earlier this year, prosecutors said there was a possibility the former minister could travel abroad and, in turn, be given the opportunity to destroy evidence serving the investigation. Yet, no one directly asked to for Tahiri’s passport be suspended.
As reported by local media, Tahiri traveled to Germany at the end of November, where he stayed for some days for reasons not made public. At the time, only a warrant to search his residence was issued by the court, whereas his freedom to travel was still intact.
Tahiri’s lawyer, Maks Haxhia, reacted to this week’s court decision, saying it is not based on the law. During a statement he gave for the press, Haxhia underlined that no new evidence concerning the Tahiri-Habilaj case had surfaced.
Meanwhile, just a few hours after the court’s decision, Democratic Party deputy, Enkelejd Alibeaj, gave a press conference reacting to the developments. Alibeaj told the media that if Prime Minister Edi Rama doesn’t manage to corrupt the prosecution, justice will only be a matter of time.
“The decision to keep Saimir Tahiri from leaving the country is a rightful one, which shows that the circle around Saimir Tahiri, and his boss, Edi Rama, is tightening,” Alibeaj said.
