“Seizing illegal assets of judges”

“The anti-corruption package is not related only to judges, but to the entire system. This system could include judges, prosecutors, ministers and Parliament Members. This package does not include just one category, but all categories. This package is serious enough to be investigated by the Prosecution and Court of Serious Crimes, but we will go one step further by improving the law in preventing and stopping the organized crime, by taking away assets that are untouchable with the current law”, declared Minister Nasip Naco.

The Minister of Justice had complaints also for the functionality of the Supreme Court, and warned for reforms in this court too. During a public declaration together with the European Union Ambassador to Tirana, Ettore Sequi, Naco presented the website of the Ministry of Justice, and invited all Albanians to report every abusive and corruptive act. Naco considered this portal as an act of transparency that helps the Albanian public.

The Ambassador of the European Union, Ettore Sequi, declared that the European Union will give again a huge financial assistance for the Albanian justice system, and there will be another Euralius mission. When asked by Top Channel about war against corruption in the judiciary, the ambassador declared that this is time to investigate all corrupted people without any distinction.

“For us, war against corruption is very clear. We have expressed it in reports and public declarations, even with our assistance. Everyone who is investigated and happens to go to court or get convicted, is something very important for us. It doesn’t matter if he is a judge or a football player. What we need is a more clear history of investigations and penal proceedings. The past progress-report and also the one that will come out after a few weeks, will show that we are very consistent in the demand that Albania needs a clear history in the fight against corruption and the organized crime”, declared the European Union Ambassador to Tirana, Ettore Sequi.

In the progress-report of 2012 for Albania, European Union emphasized the fact that the judiciary needs reforms and fight against corruption and organized crime needed to be deeper. The report had strong remarks on the judiciary independence and corruption in Albania. As regards corruption, the United States Ambassador to Tirana, Alexander Arvizu, expressed great concern yesterday, since a Transparency International report showed that 80% of the Albanian people believe that judges in Albania are corrupted and that justice is missing in courts.

Top Channel