Justice Minister Nasip Na诠furious at decision to stop investigation of several judges accused of corruption and hiding income, including a High Council of Justice member, Gjin Gjoni.
TIRANA, July 8 – Justice Minister Nasip Na诠has expressed anger at a decision of the High Council of Justice to stop disciplinary procedures against several judges accused of corruption and hiding wealth.
Na诠had sought the suspension and criminal investigation of Appeals Judge Gjin Gjoni and seven others for allegedly breaking procedures and hiding income.
Gjoni’s case had attracted a lot of public attention after he was accused of hiding some 2 million euros in funds and property and offering no justification for the wealth he had built up. In addition he is also a member of the KLD itself, as the top judicial body, the High Council of Justice, is known by its Albanian acronym.
The minister had started an investigation, asking the KLD to suspend the judge from the post and from KLD membership.
In turn, the KLD, headed by the country’s president, Bujar Nishani, voted almost unanimously on Monday against suspending Gjoni from his post.
The justice system has always been post-communist Albania’s Achilles’ heel. Public opinion polls show Albanians perceive the justice system as one of the country’s most corrupt public institutions.
Dealing with corruption in the judiciary has also been a main issue in Tirana’s hopes for progressing toward closer ties with the European Union, after getting the candidate status last month.
The 10-month old Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has made it clear it will focus on the justice system this fall with more actions to fight corruption among some 800 judges and prosecutors.
Monday’s decision was also another moment of the friction between the government and the KLD, members of which were largely appointed by the previous Democratic Party-led government, including it head – President Nishani.
Na诠said the KLD decision was “scandalous” and “ridiculous,” adding it made it impossible for the government to continue cooperation with the KLD.
He said the government would now refer to the parliament, where the leftist governing coalition has a strong majority, for further action, suggesting there would legislative changes to address the issue.
The minister also directly accused judges of hiding their massive wealth and said the KLD lacked of transparency in its meetings because it did not allow the media to attend.
“It is up to the parliament to decide what they are to do with the KLD members, if they will close the eyes and support the shameful KLD actions,” the minister said.
He also called on citizens to denounce judges who hide property and income.
“My (cell) number as justice minister is openly listed. I call on the citizens to denounce,” he said.
The KLD, on the other hand, has accused the government of trying to put it under political control and said in a statement that the minister had failed to prove his claims during the meeting. It also accused Na诠of lying to the public.
“The minister publicly lied when he said he had presented evidence of the guilt of the judges,” the statement said. “The minister publicly lied when he said that there is no transparency at the KLD as minutes of meetings are available.”
KLD said it called on the government to ban public political attacks and allow the judiciary to do its job without political interference.
“The campaign against KLD as a constitutional institution has been engineered and launched as part of a long and tragicomic farce which hides behind it political intentions to control every institution and every individual who serves in public posts today,” the statement said.
In another reaction, the government’s portfolio minister and national coordinator in the fight against corruption, Bledi Cuci, said that the efforts of the Justice Ministry to fight corruption “were slapped by the KLD.”
“The government and the prime minister fully support the Justice Minister’s statement and also any action he is to undertake to take to the end the fight against corruption in justice.”
He also called on the parliament and the lawmakers to decide on what they are to do with the KLD members following the “unprecedented decision-making that occurred yesterday at the KLD meeting.”
Government sources say the next session of the parliament, expected to start in September, will have the fight against corruption in justice as a main priority. Prime Minister Edi Rama has repeatedly mentioned his talk with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel ,saying that Albania cannot progress further to the EU with the current situation in the justice system.
