“Candidate status for Balkan”

Beti Njuma: Mr.Grasso, there are countries who have had reserves for Albania’s candidate status. Some even had pressure from extremist circles, based on the fact that they consider Albania a country with higher levels of traffic and crime. Is Albania really like that?

“Not more than the other countries that have been in the same situation in the past, by what I know due to the duty that I held one year ago. Certainly that there are trafficks regarding the so-called eastern mafia, which brought immigrants, drug and waste materials to Europe. But this is a globalized phenomenon and you cannot point your finger to a single countries. These are international crimes that need cooperation from criminal organizations in different countries. The countries that opposed Albania’s candidate status need to be convinced that Albania is important for Europe from the strategic point of view, for the peace and stability in Balkan. The recent developments in Ukraine make you reflect in what we should understand with an all-inclusive status for all Balkan countries, in order to guarantee peace and stability”, Pietro Grasso declared.

Beti Njuma: What obstacles faces Albania now for the candidate status? Will there be a positive answer in June?

Grasso: “Italy will support this process. We have monitored the situation, but the government and the Parliament are cooperating to pass the remarks that have been made. Certainly that fight against corruption is needed, together with fight against criminality, through interventions and reforms. Reforms which have started also thanks to the Italian support and that should continue in this path”, Grasso declared.

Beti Njuma: You have been a Prosecutor of the anti-mafia during a difficult time for Italy and Albania. What are the connections between the organized crimes in both countries?

“When I was a Prosecutor of the anti-mafia, there were tracks of these relations especially with the Apuglia region. These connections have existed. I hope that today they will not be as intensive as before. The phenomenon of inflatable boats that transported drugs and marijuana is a phenomenon that is appearing as before”, explained the head of the Italian senate.

Beti Njuma: “In Albania we have an extraordinary problem, since the judiciary system is considered as the most corrupted in our country. What should we do for returning the public’s trust on the judiciary?

“First of all, it is a problem of people. Certainly that inspections are possible, but also investigations in courts. In Italy there is an independence of the Prosecution, which allows Prosecutors to investigate their colleagues who are suspected of not implementing the law. From this point of view, I think that the investigative institutions need more independence and autonomy, together with the courts and the police. But on the same time, they need more instruments to act and perform better”, said the former Italian Prosecutor of the anti-mafia.

Beti Njuma: Can corruption among the judiciary be eliminated for as long that the justice itself is accused as the most corrupted system in our country?

“I have to say that we have the same problem in Italy. The first day that I entered the senate, I introduced a draft-law for fighting corruption more effectively. Not only corruption, but also other crimes that are related with it, such as tax evasion. Certainly, those who are corrupted do not declare their corruption source. There is also the recycle crime, which is a product of hiding assets that come from corruption. There is the need to find legislative instruments for fighting corruption more effectively. Besides this, we need measures for making transparency. Every judge should behave like he was living in a glass house, so that they can be checked for their profits as soon as he tkes duty.

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