Press statement by the Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj following the meeting of the Council of Ministers:

The Anti-Corruption Task Force has continued intensively verifying all denunciations and complaints filed by the citizens and verifying the legality in public service delivery.

The Anti-Corruption Task Force has carried out inspections of activities at several central institutions and their local directorates in various districts across the country, namely as following:

Regional Directorates of the Agency for Legalisation, Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Areas and Buildings (ALUIZNI) in Tirana and Fier;

Local Immovable Property Registration Office in Fier;

Durres regional hospital;

Border Inspection Unit of the National Food Authority in the Port of Durres;

Tax Directorate in Fier;

The State Labour and Social Services Inspectorate in Fier

Based on the reports following the Anti-Corruption Task Force inspections, a total of 60 disciplinary actions were recommended, whereas criminal charges have been filed against eight directors, former directors and civil servants.

All relevant institutions have implemented the Anti-Corruption Task Force recommendations by imposing 60 disciplinary actions and nine officials have been removed from their job:

 

3 sector heads at rural ALUIZNI Tirana office;

2 food inspectors at Border Inspection Unit in the port of Durres;

Chief inspector at State Labour and Social Services in Durrës;

Chief inspector at State Labour and Social Services in Fier;

The director of Tirana South ALUIZNI directorate and the head of the legalization sector

Criminal charges have been filed with the Prosecution Office against:

Two food inspectors at Durres Port Border Inspection Unit on abuse of office charges for allegedly carrying out actions that violate legal food safety obligations.

Former directors of Tirana South and Rural Tirana ALUIZNI Office, as well as four sector heads who are charged with abuse of office by legalizing informal buildings through violation of procedures and violating legal deadlines on legalization of informal buildings.

The fight against corruption remains one of the most important challenges for the Albanian government.

 

We remain fully committed to discovering and combating any manifestations of this phenomenon, which is one of the biggest obstacles to the country’s economic and democratic development.

However, such commitment won’t be complete without the citizens’ participation.

The citizens are our most important allies in the fight against corruption. Without their cooperation, denunciations, complaints, and information, no structure, however efficient, would not achieve the desired results.

Therefore, I avail myself of this opportunity to renew our invitation to the citizens and ensure them our whole attention focuses on them.

Any complaints, denunciations and information filed with the online co-governance platform “Albania We Want.al”, not only help in efforts to solve the problems concerning every citizen, but they are also a direct contribution towards improvement of the state offices and public administration performance.

At the same time, I would like to express full confidence that the Prosecution Office will conduct a comprehensive and quick investigation into the criminal charges filed by the Anti-Corruption Task Force to bring all law offenders to justice.

In my capacity as the head of the Anti-Corruption Task Force, I will directly inform citizens every week over the facts and evidence of this shared and common endeavour.

 

Thank you!