Balance of ministers over the years before justice, how many appeared before SPAK and who has a criminal report

Prime Minister Edi Rama declared at the end of February that from the long list of ministers over the years, only two of them have been convicted by the courts.

"In three mandates there have been around 60 ministers, count them a little. Two ministers have been convicted from the first mandate, one from the Socialist Party, one from the strategic ally, sorry, the strategic ally party, then a third in detention all day today but not yet convicted who is presumed innocent according to European justice and a fourth on the run, the deputy prime minister. 4, ok?", Rama said in the "sy me sy" column. This was Rama's first, but not the last, statement on corruption and investigations against members of his government.

Even in the last meeting with the diaspora in Milan, Rama has tried to relativize the perception conveyed by the opposition that "half of the government is in prison", by offering more of a statistical framework. In the meeting with the diaspora, Rama said in short that the investigations over the years are a reason for pride and not shame, as they are the result of an independent judiciary.

Political scientist Ilir Kalemaj tells Faktoje.al that, "Rama's statements seeking to justify himself by doing the usual spin, to justify the multiple accusations against his cabinet members, are simply for electoral effect, but it is not known what effectiveness they may have."

Why? "This is because it contradicts terms and defies elementary logic. So, on the one hand, SPAK as an institution was created and continues to be supported only by the SP and Rama as its guarantor, and on the other hand, over 90 percent of SPAK's defendants at high levels are former ministers, former deputies and former mayors of the SP, starting with Rama's closest former associates such as Tahiri, Ahmetaj and Beqaj."

On the other hand, according to him, a long line of senior officials, starting with Veliaj, are also on the path to facing justice.

Kalemaj has an explanation for the relativization of the phenomenon.

"You cannot capitalize on SPAK and the justice reform electorally simply because polls show this body of justice appreciated by citizens and at the same time underestimate the role and weight of your former or current collaborators simply to get votes."

The scope of investigations and criminal prosecutions against senior and former officials in Albania has expanded significantly over the years, with a series of cases involving well-known names in Albanian politics such as ministers, MPs, mayors, etc.

Në morinë e hetimeve Faktoje.al i është referuar vetëm paraqitjeve publike në dyert e SPAK , kallëzimeve të raportuara nga opozita si dhe njoftimeve zyrtare të SPAK që prekin emra ministrash dhe ish-ministra nga viti 2013, sa kohë deklarata e Ramës i referohej vetëm ministrave ndër vite.

Duke përmendur vetëm dy ministra të dënuar dhe dy të tjerë (njëri në paraburgim dhe tjetri në arrati), Rama deri diku është përpjekur ta përdorë edhe si argument për një standard të lartë moral, por edhe institucional.

Por le të marrim vetëm ata që aktualisht janë në burg dhe për çfarë për të kuptuar se sa qëndron ky standard?

Kryetari i Bashkisë së Tiranës, Erion Veliaj, ndodhet në arrest me burg pasi ai dhe bashkëshortja e tij Ajola Xoxe dyshohen nga SPAK se janë ideatorët dhe zbatuesit e një skeme korruptive dhe pastrimi parash, me zanafillë bashkinë e Tiranës. Në fillimet e qeverisë Rama, Veliaj (para se të zgjidhej kryetar bashkie) ka mbajtur prej dy vitesh postin e ministrit të Punës dhe Çështjeve Sociale. Një tjetër funksionar i lartë, ish-zv.kryeministri Arben Ahmetaj ndodhet në kërkim ndërkombëtar. Ndaj tij janë ngritur akuza për “pastrim parash”, “fshehje të pasurisë” dhe “korrupsion pasiv”. Hetimet janë shtyrë tre herë deri tani. Ndaj tij është në zhvillim edhe një hetim pasuror, ku janë sekuestruar disa prona

Në një tjetër çështje, SPAK ka kërkuar gjykimin për 11 të pandehur në aferën e SASPAC, përfshirë ish-ministrin Ilir Beqaj, i akuzuar për 6 vepra të rënda penale, ndër to korrupsion dhe mashtrim.

SPAK gjithashtu ka shpallur pretencën për ish-drejtoreshën e ARRSH, Sonila Qato, e akuzuar për shkelje të barazisë në tendera për një kontratë prej 19 milionë euro. Për të është kërkuar 1 vit burg dhe ndalim nga funksionet publike për 5 vite. Qato ka mbajtur edhe postin e Ministres për Mbrojtjen e Sipërmarrjes në vitin 2017.

Ish-ministri i Mjedisit, Lefter Koka, u dënua me 10 vite burg për çështjen e inceneratorëve, por përfitoi ulje dënimi nga gjykimi i shkurtuar, duke u dënuar përfundimisht me 6 vite e 8 muaj. I njëjti dënim vlen edhe për çështjen e inceneratorit të Elbasanit. Ndërkohë, ish-ministri i Brendshëm, Saimir Tahiri, u dënua me 5 vite burg për “shpërdorim detyre”, i reduktuar në 3 vite e 4 muaj. Ai u lirua në qershor 2023, megjithëse i kishin mbetur edhe 1 vit e 8 muaj nga dënimi. Akuzat më të rënda ndaj tij nuk u provuan.

Some of the current or former ministers have testified at SPAK about the reports that were addressed to them mainly by opposing political forces, but there are also some of them (in a very small number) who have testified even without being reported, as people who have knowledge of the issues that SPAK is investigating. The phenomenon over the years also shows that not every report or denunciation has been based on evidence, while the DP, due to the internal war, has been fragmented without being able to create a baseline of how many reports it has filed over the years and for what specifically against ministers of the “Rama” government. At least one such was not made available to Faktoje.al until the publication of this article.

Faktoje.al brings a list of names of current ministers and those over the years who have appeared at least once in SPAK, as well as those against whom there has been a criminal report. Over 30% of the list of 65 ministers (since 2013) results in having had at least one direct or indirect confrontation with the justice authorities. Meanwhile, with legal problems highlighted so far (convicted, defendant, imprisoned, wanted) result in 6

Referring to the above, we will categorize Prime Minister Edi Rama's statement that from 2013 to today only two ministers have been convicted, another is in custody and a fourth is on the run as a half-truth.

File of ministers in relation to justice from 2013

Current ministers who have appeared before SPAK and/or have a criminal complaint against them

Former ministers, currently MPs

Former ministers, but not MPs

Those who have left politics and have presented themselves to SPAK

Factoje.al