TIRANA, Jan. 17 – A Tirana court issued arrest warrants for a large number of local officials and heads of construction on charges such as abuse of office, document forgery and illegal construction.
The Albanian prosecution is investigating those responsible for the devastating consequences of the November 26 earthquake, a big number of damages which came from violating construction laws.
The Tirana court today ruled to arrest 7 former officials and officials, 12 others under house arrest, and 11 others were required to periodically appear at justice institutions, who are accused of being responsible for legal violations of documents. of building a host of buildings destroyed by the November 26 earthquake.
Officers and former local officials, building inspectors, architects, engineers and builders in Farka, Kashar and Vora have been indicted on charges of ‘abuse of Power,’ ‘falsification of documents’ and ‘illegal construction.’
Investigations against them began shortly after the November 26 earthquake, when some 130 buildings and over 200 apartments with severe earthquake damage were declared uninhabited in some administrative units around Tirana.
The court on Saturday reviewed security measures for 30 former officials, builders and engineers, part of the so-called ‘earthquake’ file, all of whom are charged with violations that brought the damage to dozens of buildings during the latest earthquake.
In many cases, they signed construction permits had missing documents, signed certificates for unfinished work, concealed the quality of construction materials, and manipulated new facility design and other documents during the construction process.
Another charge against some of them was ‘illegal construction,’ with regard to additions and abusive interference in existing buildings, as well as violations of permits.
Prosecutors in several districts immediately launched investigations following the November 26 earthquake, for administrative reasons related to the casualties and the numerous consequences it caused.
Ahead of Tirana was the Durres prosecutor’s office, which signed 17 arrests for builders, former officials and public servants and supervisors and investigators on charges ranging from abuse of office to the killing of residents.
The opposition, for its part, expressed skepticism about the arrests as to the extent of responsibility they cover for the illegal constructions.
The Democratic Party demanded that high-level officials, widely known as symbols of corruption, be arrested in earthquake-stricken municipalities, as well as those who sign irregular building permits and have turned cities’ curbs on prime business, turning construction in one of the most profitable sectors of the Albanian criminal world.
The November 26 earthquake left 51 people dead, one thousand injured, 14,000 homeless and thousands of buildings destroyed.
A large number of donors are expected to gather in Brussels on February 17 to assist Albania with the reconstruction process, while the trials with those responsible for these devastations are due to be carried out by its justice system.
