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BIRN: SPAK generous towards corruption in elections

Politiko 2024-12-27 18:39:27

BIRN: SPAK generous towards corruption in elections

The Special Prosecution Office, SPAK, requested on Friday, December 27, the minimum sentence provided by law for the socialist mayor of the Municipality of Rrogozhina, Edison Memolla, accused of “active corruption in elections”. Memolla is accused of influencing to offer favors in exchange for votes, when he was running for the position he holds. The charge against Memolla provides for a sentence of 1 to 5 years in prison.

Memolla was denounced for this fact in the media, however he was elected the winner to lead the Municipality of Rrogizhina and beyond.

The organization Qëndresa Këytare raised concerns on Friday about this SPAK investigation. "Electoral crimes are a test case for SPAK for 2025! The Memolla precedent has been present in Albania for years where administration assets are used in the service of elections," the reaction states.

The organization draws attention to the fact that the use of public resources for political support during electoral campaigns is prohibited by law, but the implementation of this law remains a challenge. The Civic Center points out that a survey conducted by this organization showed that 85% of citizens believe that state resources are misused for electoral purposes, thus influencing the final outcome of the elections.

"Civic Resistance invites SPAK to make electoral crimes, which are considered the source of corruption in the administration, the main topic of its work for 2025," the reaction added.

BIRN asked SPAK for comment on why it was deemed necessary to seek the minimum sentence provided for by law in this case. SPAK said it would have an answer on Monday regarding this question.

In November 2023, SPAK sent the mayor of Rrogozhina, Edison Memolla, and three other people to trial on charges of active corruption in elections and document falsification. According to SPAK, Memolla influenced electrician Blerim Xhamani not to cut off the electricity to a debtor subscriber, in order to vote in his favor in the local by-elections on March 6, 2022. Memolla also communicated with Xhamani about employment in the Rrogozhina Municipality, in exchange for votes.

Xhamani was charged with “active corruption in elections” and the criminal offense of “forgery of documents”. According to SPAK, he, together with defendant Isuf Tosku, falsified the data in the electricity cut-off report, presenting false data, as they did not actually cut off the electricity to the debtor subscriber. Defendant Ndriçim Tafxhafa was accused of promising a citizen to pay off her debts to OSHEE and provide her with housing, asking her to vote in favor of a candidate in those local by-elections.

The prosecutor in the case, Edvin Kondili, requested on Thursday in court that Edison Memolla be sentenced to 1 year in prison and disqualified from holding public office for 5 years. For the defendants Ndriçim Tafxhafa and Isuf Tosku, 1 year in prison was also requested, while for Blerim Xhaman, a sentence of 2 years in prison was requested. The next hearing, when the defense is expected to present its conclusions, will take place on January 10.

Memolla is not the first local government candidate to be accused of electoral corruption. On March 5, the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, was sentenced to 2 years in prison./ Reporter.al

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