The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) was established in 2019 as part of the justice reform in Albania, with the mission to fight corruption and organized crime at the highest levels. SPAK has initiated and pursued a significant number of criminal cases against senior officials, seized assets in millions of euros, attacking the finances of criminal groups and individuals involved in illegal activities, as well as followed successful operations in the detection and prevention of activities criminal.
However, after five years of activity, the challenges for SPAK still remain great. The perception of impunity and political influence are still concerns that need to be addressed such as: dealing with high level corruption, its resources and capacities as well as ensuring independence from political and economic pressures.
However, in front of the prosecutors of SPAK today, all senior politicians, with the exception of Prime Minister Rama, were paraded. The opposition accuses him, the government says they support him. But is it so?
How are these 5 years at SPAK, 3 directed by Arben Kraja and 2 by Altin Dumani?
Answers to these questions were given by Alba Alishani on A2 CNN this Wednesday. Lawyer Julian Kola said that SPAK has shocked the Albanian political class. "SPAK is a challenge to the justice system. One of the reforms that has deeply affected all constitutional institutions even though it was not the first. In the framework of this reform, it was more profound and has shocked the Albanian political class, where I believe that was the purpose of this reform.
Isuf Shehu, jurist and lawyer, said that SPAK's work has been focused in two directions and could have done more. "What has happened these 5 years is an energy focused in two directions, on the reports of the opposition and on the files related to the wiretapping. SPAK should have done something more, but the truth is that these two things have been the focus of SPAK.
For lawyer Ledio Braho, SPAK has broken the taboo for the high levels of politics, but is still behind in the fight against organized crime.
"SPAK has broken a kind of taboo regarding high levels of politics. There is a kind of vulnerability, while the other competence that SPAK has is organized crime, where I think it is still behind. If it weren't for the resources from the EU and the USA, I believe it would be at lower levels", said the lawyer in A2.
Meanwhile, analyst Ervis Iljazaj said that SPAK has broken the mentality of impunity and according to him this is much more important than technicalities.
"If we are going to make a balance, there is no black and white answer, successful or failed, in 5 years the creation of SPAK is a positive phenomenon. Technically, there may be problems, but I am interested in seeing SPAK in relation to politics, and in this direction, I think that SPAK has broken a mentality where prosecutors were afraid of powerful people, but this barrier has been broken. The techniques can be improved as we have not suffered from the laws. We have a completely different mentality", said Iljazaj in Debate. (A2 Televizion)
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