FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The 7-year vetting process in the first instance purged more than half of the judges and prosecutors, exposing major problems with the justification of assets and ties to organized crime. While the results of the process are viewed with positivity by analysts, maintaining the standards in the future remains a challenge...
On the afternoon of December 16, vetting commissioners and representatives of the diplomatic corps gathered at the Palace of Congresses for a modest festive ceremony on the occasion of the conclusion of the 7-year process of the first degree of vetting.
The emphasis was placed by the head of the European Union Delegation, Silvio Gonzato, who, after evaluating the achievements, focused on the future of the justice system in Albania.
"We shouldn't rest on our laurels...," Gonzato said, calling for the work done so far to clean up the justice system to be preserved. "It is critical that KLP and KLJG provide concrete evidence that they have the ability to maintain the standards of vetting bodies", he added.
Seven years after the establishment, the Independent Qualification Commission and Public Commissioners ceased to exist and passed the baton to other institutions of the justice system with an unpredictable balance; only 46% of the former judiciary corps survived the vetting.
Of the 805 judges, prosecutors and legal assistants who underwent the transitional re-evaluation process, only 373 of them managed to successfully pass the verification filters for the criteria of wealth, clean image and professionalism.
Data analyzed by BIRN show that 430 magistrates or more than half of judicial officials left through dismissal decisions or resignations. Of these 268 subjects were dismissed in the first instance, 105 others resigned, for 49 subjects the process was terminated without a final decision and in 8 cases the administrative investigation was terminated.
Over the course of seven years, the vetting exposed hundreds of cases where magistrates' wealth was unjustified, as well as professional problems and inappropriate contacts with organized crime. Also, concealment of wealth, false declarations, conflict of interest and fictitious actions were evidenced. In some cases, it was found that magistrates tried to drag out the process or avoid verifications.
"The vetting process served as a mirror where Albanian society finally clearly saw the defects of the justice system," says journalist and analyst Lutfi Dervishi.
While bringing to attention cases where there may have been some excess or tolerance towards certain subjects, Dervishi emphasizes that it is now important that the vetting becomes a permanent instrument to guarantee the purity of judges and prosecutors in the future.
Pasuria “thembra e Akilit”
Përgjatë shtatë viteve, procesit të vetingut iu nënshtruan 407 gjyqtarë, 331 prokurorë,
60 ndihmës ligjorë dhe 7 ish-inspektorë të Këshillit të Lartë të Drejtësisë. Të dhënat e analizuara nga BIRN tregojnë se spastrimet kanë qenë më të mëdha në radhët e gjyqtarëve krahasuar me ato të prokurorëve.
Nga 407 gjyqtarë që iu nënshtruan procesit të vetingut, u konfirmuan në detyrë 169 prej tyre ose 41% e totalit dhe u shkarkuan 147 të tjerë ose 36% e totalit. Ndërkohë, 91 gjyqtarë u larguan nga procesi përmes dorëheqjeve, duke marrë një pjesë si penalizim ndalimin për të punuar për 15 vitet e ardhshme në sistemin e drejtësisë.
Nga radhët e 331 prokurorëve u konfirmuan 171 ose 51% e totalit dhe u shkarkuan 115 ose 34% e totalit. 45 prokurorë të tjerë u larguan përmes përgjithësisht përmes dorëheqjeve.
BIRN analizoi të dhënat statistikore lidhur me arsyet e shkarkimit të subjekteve të rivlerësimit kalimtar, duke ju referuar konkluzioneve të KPA kur ato kanë mbetur në fuqi.
Në pjesën dërrmuese të tyre shkarkimet kanë ardhur për problemet në kriterin e pasurisë. Nga 268 raste shkarkimi nga detyra në KPK, për 234 subjekte ose 87% e totalit janë gjetur në pamundësi për të justifikuar me burime të ligjshme pasuritë e tyre.
Po ashtu, janë konstatuar raste të konfliktit të interesit për 17 subjekte rivlerësimi dhe veprime fiktive të kryera nga 19 prej tyre. Deklarime të rreme dhe sjellje me qëllim pengimin e zhvillimit të vetingut rezulton të jenë kryer nga 6 subjekte gjatë procesit të rivlerësimit.
Probleme me figurën janë gjetur për 22 subjekte ose 8% e totalit, ku në 8 raste janë evidentuar kontakte të papërshtatshme me persona të përfshirë në veprimtari kriminale apo krim të organizuar. Vetëm dy magjistratë janë shkarkuar ekskluzivisht për lidhje me anëtarë të krimit të organizuar.
Ndërsa problemet me profesionalizmin u kushtuan karrierën 26 magjistratëve ose gati 10% e tyre.
Në 94 raste, shkarkimi ka ardhur në vlerësimin tërësor, si për gjetje të pasurisë, ashtu dhe të figurës apo profesionalizmit, duke u konkluduar se subjektet e rivlerësimit kanë cënuar besimin e publikut tek drejtësia.
Në këto rezultate nuk përfshihen të dhënat e hetimit administrativ paraprak të KPK për 105 subjektet për të cilët është ndërprerë vetingu për shkak të dorëheqjes së tyre, pasi në vendimet e publikuara nga KPK nuk pasyqrohen të dhëna lidhur me rezultatet e vetingut. Si masë penalizuese ndaj tyre është vendosur ndalimi i emërimit si gjyqtar ose prokuror i çdo niveli, anëtar i Këshillit të Lartë Gjyqësor ose i Këshillit të Lartë të Prokurorisë, Inspektor i Lartë i Drejtësisë ose Prokuror i Përgjithshëm, për një periudhë 15-vjeçare.
Sfidat e reformës
Ndërsa mandati i Kolegjit të Posaçëm të Apelimit përfundon në mesin e vitit 2026, mbeten ende një numër i madh çështjesh për t’u shqyrtuar.
Until November 30, 409 cases were registered in the KPA, which make up a little more than half of the Commission's decisions. In addition to the 123 complaints made by the Public Commissioners, 286 reassessment subjects have also appealed. Four decisions of the KPK have been appealed, both by the Public Commissioners and by the re-evaluation subjects.
Of the registered cases, KPA has announced decisions for 291 of them and 210 decisions or about 77% of the Commission's decisions have been left in force.
Meanwhile, the College has so far dismissed 39 magistrates who had successfully passed the filters of the Independent Qualification Commission and reinstated 17 subjects who were previously dismissed in the first instance.
Currently, 118 cases are being reviewed at the KPA, of which 8 are being judged and the others are being prepared for trial.
While the justice reform along with the vetting process are considered by political analysts as one of the biggest challenges of the Albanian transition, it remains important to see if the standards set by this process will be maintained in the future.
Blendi Čeka, lecturer of Political Sciences, says that the high expectation for the justice system and the massive public support for the Special Prosecutor's Office, SPAK, are already a chance for providing a standard justice for the citizens. But he also emphasizes that the reform is not finished and requires the commitment of all citizens.
"Justice reform is a process. And like any process there is tension. It carries within it the great democratizing potential in the country and the constant suspicion of degradation or failure," Čeka told BIRN.
"The challenge of the Justice Reform is to provide justice with standards for citizens. The challenge of the citizens is not to be mere spectators of this reform, but to behave as citizens committed to the public interest," he added, emphasizing that this will also determine the long-term success of the reform.
Likewise, Lutfi Dervishi emphasizes the preservation of these standards and the normal functioning of justice institutions.
"...The standards set by vetting, as EU progress reports warn, cannot be a success story only on paper," said Dervishi. "The vetting was a big step, but not the last," he concluded. /
As the mandate of the Special Appellate Panel ends in mid-2026, there are still a large number of cases to be considered.
Until November 30, 409 cases were registered in the KPA, which make up a little more than half of the Commission's decisions. In addition to the 123 complaints made by the Public Commissioners, 286 reassessment subjects have also appealed. Four decisions of the KPK have been appealed, both by the Public Commissioners and by the re-evaluation subjects.
Of the registered cases, KPA has announced decisions for 291 of them and 210 decisions or about 77% of the Commission's decisions have been left in force.
Meanwhile, the College has so far dismissed 39 magistrates who had successfully passed the filters of the Independent Qualification Commission and reinstated 17 subjects who were previously dismissed in the first instance.
Currently, 118 cases are being reviewed at the KPA, of which 8 are being judged and the others are being prepared for trial.
While the justice reform along with the vetting process are considered by political analysts as one of the biggest challenges of the Albanian transition, it remains important to see if the standards set by this process will be maintained in the future.
Blendi Čeka, lecturer of Political Sciences, says that the high expectation for the justice system and the massive public support for the Special Prosecutor's Office, SPAK, are already a chance for providing a standard justice for the citizens. But he also emphasizes that the reform is not finished and requires the commitment of all citizens.
"Justice reform is a process. And like any process there is tension. It carries within it the great democratizing potential in the country and the constant suspicion of degradation or failure," Čeka told BIRN.
"The challenge of the Justice Reform is to provide justice with standards for citizens. The challenge of the citizens is not to be mere spectators of this reform, but to behave as citizens committed to the public interest," he added, emphasizing that this will also determine the long-term success of the reform.
Likewise, Lutfi Dervishi emphasizes the preservation of these standards and the normal functioning of justice institutions.
"...The standards set by vetting, as EU progress reports warn, cannot be a success story only on paper," said Dervishi. "The vetting was a big step, but not the last," he concluded./ BIRN
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