TIRANA, April 8 – The Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has announced details of the operation conducted in cooperation with the Special Prosecution of Kosovo at the Morina border crossing on Friday.
In the press release issues on Friday, SPAK stated that the criminal proceedings for the criminal offense “Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions”, has started on the basis of the evidence referred by the Service for Internal Affairs and Complaints on suspicion of involvement of some of police officers at the Morina Border Crossing Point in illegal activities for the criminal offenses “Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions”, “Smuggling of goods, for which excise duty is paid”, as well as “Assistance for illegal border crossing” .
The investigation documented 312 episodes of corrupt actions of police officers, who favored various persons for the importation of smuggled goods; persons who trafficked vehicles, other illegal items; helped to cross the border various persons with legal problems for their entry and exit in EU countries in terms of fictitious registrations for entry and exit into Albanian territory; as well as assisting other persons who had problems with the law, who were not registered in the TIMS system, as their travel to Kosovo and vice versa was not allowed.
At the request of the Special Prosecution, the Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime has imposed 34 personal security measures, of which 32 employees of the Kukës Border Police, with various functions within the Border and Migration Directorate of Kukës, including the Director of this Directorate for committing criminal offenses “Abuse of duty”, “Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions”, in cooperation, “Exercising illegal influence on persons exercising public functions”.
Personal security measures are: ‶ Arrest in prison ‶ for 17 police officers, ‶ Home arrest for 14 citizens and police officers and ‶ Suspension from duty ‶ against 3 police officers.
SPAK said that the Service for Internal Affairs and Complaints, in cooperation with the General Directorate of State Police and the Border Police Department, executed on Friday the personal security measures set by the court.
In the meantime it is announced by Kosovo police sources that dozens of police officers were simultaneously detained at the Kosovo border checkpoint. /Argumentum.al
