Pressure from organized crime, the media, and politics is considered by SPAK to be the main problem that has seriously affected their work during 2024.
In the annual report that the Special Prosecution Office submitted to the Assembly, it acknowledges that interference by external factors has also risked compromising the integrity of SPAK prosecutors, as well as the investigative cases pursued by them.
"External pressure on SPAK from organized crime, political and media actors, which undermines its constitutional independence and effectiveness in investigations. External interventions also endanger the integrity of prosecutors and the investigative process. To guarantee the independence of SPAK, as well as support for prosecutors in sensitive cases, a more coordinated and timely response is needed from all institutions, which have the responsibility of protecting the integrity of SPAK," says the Special Prosecution Office.
In the 109-page report, SPAK lists a total of 10 issues encountered during the past year. According to them, the low number of referrals from public institutions, including the state police, regarding criminal offenses in the context of corruption and organized crime still remains problematic. The issue, SPAK says, has been encountered since 2023 with the non-extradition of Albanian citizens arrested in the United Arab Emirates.
As a success of the work of SPAK prosecutors last year, the report mentions the crackdown on organized crime and the arrest of high-ranking officials involved in corrupt acts.
From January to December 2024, SPAK registered 328 proceedings and 629 people were placed under investigation.
SPAK notes that compared to 2023, the number of wiretaps was lower in 2024, where 3096 telephone numbers in use were tapped. During 2024, it results that 33 former senior officials were put under investigation and for 19 of them, the cases were sent for trial.
Among other things, the report also mentions the existence of 16 criminal groups with high social risk operating in our country, which operate mainly in cocaine trafficking to several EU countries. SPAK says that the criminal activity of 10 groups that have operated in the country and that have used sophisticated methods, including encrypted communications such as SKY ECC and money laundering through cryptocurrencies, has been proven. They have penetrated important structures of society, including the judiciary, the prosecution, the police, the media and academia.
“Këto grupe janë të strukturuara mbi baza familjare dhe miqësore dhe veprojnë në qarqet e Tiranës, Durrësit, Shkodrës, Kukësit, Lezhës, Elbasanit dhe Vlorës”, citohet në raportin e SPAK.
Në punën e prokurorëve të SPAK përmenden sekuestrimet dhe konfiskimet e pasurisë të bëra vitin e shkuar. Vlera e aseteve të sekuestruara përllogaritet afërsisht prej 65,5 milion euro, një shifër rekord për SPAK. Ndërsa vlera e pasurive të konfiskuara përllogaritet në rreth 938 milion lekë.
Sipas SPAK, rezulton se 30 milionë euro të pasurive të konfiskuara dhe sekuestruara u përkasin zyrtarëve të lartë. (A2 Televizion)
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