Search for Central Bank’s stolen money

“Shqip” newspaper reports that despite what is said in Bitraj’s declarations, who claims that he lost of the money in gambling, Prosecutors have reasonable doubt that part of the money might have been transferred abroad.

“For this reason, the investigation group has demanded information from the private banks in our country. All structures have been involved in the investigation, from the Bank of Albania to the Directory against Money Laundering, Secret Service agents and Prosecution’s investigators.

So far, the only defendants are the two economists, Ardian Bitraj and Mimoza Bruzi. The investigations are bringing to light other people that have been involved.

The state where bank is played in gambling

Doubts about safety, not only the banking one. Why everyone is silent about this?

The scandal with the theft at the Bank of Albania raises strong questions about the role of some institutions that affect the national security.

The basic duty of the Bank of Albania is to guarantee safety for the financial system by not allowing bad management, abuses or corruption in private banks, that could put in danger the citizens’ money.

The failure and inability to stop a theft that was going on for several years within the structure that should be the safest in the country, not only damages the image of the Bank authority, but it leaves a negative message to the public.

For many experts, this shows how badly the Central Bank has been administered for years. The post of the deputy administrative governor, who deals with the internal matters, has been vacant for years, although it is foreseen by law to be present.

The staff recruitments have always been accused of nepotism and exchange of favors with the power. A coincidence or not, the Director of the Department in which the theft took place has very close relations with the Governor.

The robbery might be the ordinary crime of an employee, but it shows the failure of an entire system. This system is the one that should guarantee the financial and national security.

But besides the bank, this theft raises other questions about other institutions. Millions of USD have went easily through the gambling industry. This raises questions about the authority of the gambling industry, the money laundering agency, the secret services and other institutions related to the national security.

If they have failed to notice an employee stealing from them millions of dollars and losing them in gambling shops without being notices, how high are the chances that criminal groups might clean their money this way?

The scandal has brought to light another matter. The Parliament and politics has never been silent about something of this proportion. The political fight has been much harsher for much smaller scandals, without even caring if the case was under investigation.

One week after the scandal, both the government and the opposition are staying silent. The majority has promised to bring a new leadership, to build a better state and fight corruption.

The opposition, on the other hand, announces harsh declarations even when the road accidents have increased, but they are staying silent when the Treasury is being robbed.

This raises questions if the relations of politics with the Bank are only institutional, or if they are deformed by other interests that might have bought today the general silence.

The media outlets have published names of relatives of MPs who work at the Bank of Albania. This relation is more similar to a business, and this is not good news, because the Parliament is the only institution that can correct the broken system.

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