Transport minister questioned by prosecutor’s office in Albatros case

TIRANA, Oct. 4 – Transport Minister Lulzim Basha was questioned Wednesday for about one hour by prosecutors about the case of the suspension of the flight company Albatros. The company was suspended in late August after a phone call from the head of the civil aviation department Gazmend Dibra, who was abroad. Hundreds of passengers, mainly immigrants in Italy, were left in Albania though they could lose their jobs. The issue turned into a political fight after a registered tape of a talk between Dibra and the Albatros owners, nephews of President Alfred Moisiu, was made public. In it they were told that if Prosecutor General Theodhori Sollaku would be fired their case would be closed and they would be able to resume working. Following a parliament report issued by the majority Democratic party in late July, the president is entitled to decide whether to fire Sollaku as asked or to leave him in the post. Moisiu has postponed his decision. He is found between two fires from the majority and the opposition which says that this is another effort by Prime Minister Sali Berisha to put state institutions under his control.