U.S. Embassy ‘appalled’ by Berisha statement

TIRANA, May 30 – The U.S. Embassy in Tirana has angrily reacted after a statement by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha last week, in which claimed that an Albanian employee of the embassy had used her post to pressure prosecutors to file charges against an army general. The employee in question is the sister of Defence Minister Mimi Kodheli.
“The U.S. Embassy in Tirana is appalled at the unsubstantiated allegation made against an embassy employee earlier today by Mr. Sali Berisha, a Member of Parliament, during a plenary session of the Parliament. Mr. Berisha alleged that an Albanian employee of the Embassy sought to interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation case solely on the basis of the embassy employee’s family relationship with a member of the Council of Ministers. The allegation is completely untrue and without foundation,” the embassy said in a statement. “The U.S. Embassy calls on Mr. Berisha to reflect on his behavior,” it added.
The army general, Syrja Gjoka, was arrested last month and accused of abuse of post and public money. He was later released by the appeals court and is now waiting for trial while free.
Berisha said during a session of parliament last Thursday, that the defense minister’s sister, who works with a U.S. project in Albania, had exerted pressure on Berat prosecutors to arrest the general and had exploited her institution.
Berisha responded to the embassy statement through his social media page that he had proof of what he stated. He provided no further details.
Civic society organizations have expressed concern that the Albanian parliament has turned into a place where lawmakers just attack each other and not deal with their daily job and duties.