US warn government against interference to prosecutors’ work

TIRANA, Oct 16 – US Ambassador to Tirana John L. Withers expressed his country’s full support to the work of the prosecutor’s office in Albania and appealed to the political groupings to keeps hands away from interfering in its independence.
Withers and Prosecutor General Ina Rama took part at a meeting on fighting money laundry and financial crime in Albania.
The ambassador said that money laundering was the backbone of organized crime, of corruption, and of terrorism, crimes that affect not only Albania, but the entire world.
Withers also hailed and supported Rama’s and other prosecutors’ work done.
“Her responsibilities are not only to investigate some of the most difficult and controversial cases that Albania has known, but in a larger and more profound sense, to make a profound contribution to the building of Albanian democracy through defending the independence of her institution and of the judiciary in general against political pressure and political attacks. ”
“As long as you follow the law, no matter what criticism you receive, no matter what pressures you come under, you, too, will achieve your ultimate objective.”
He said he was aware that the parliament was considering “opening an inquiry into the operation of prosecutors and the Prosecutor General here in Albania. The Government has also called for some sort of international inspection in this area, which I frankly find baffling. I find all of this very confusing and quite troubling.”
Withers said that “I frankly see no legitimate reason for the government or the parliament to make these moves. I urge both the government and the parliament to reconsider these ill-considered actions, which appear to intrude on the independence of an institution that needs to be independent. My advice, and that of my government, is to let the prosecutors do their job as the independent actors that they are.”
There could hardly be an opener call or warning to the Tirana government than that.