“SPAK is not influenced by politics”, Arben Kraja: Organized crime in Albania has been consolidating

DW: Mr. Kraja, a few days ago there was an important operation by SPAK, in cooperation with the General Directorate of State Police and the National Bureau of Investigation. There were several arrest warrants, several wanted persons, accused of very serious criminal events, among them the names of police officers and lawyers. Without wanting to mention specific names and cases, how is crime or the world of crime in Albania related to people who are part of the judiciary?

Arben Kraja: It (Operation Golden Bullet) was a very important issue and it is an issue again, because the investigation continues and you have to understand that we are a bit limited in providing information. However what I can say is that there were a considerable number of decisions passed by the court, which have confirmed reasonable suspicions based on evidence, for many criminal events that took place in our country in the last 10 years. Therefore we consider it very important. Undoubtedly, the cooperation with the police has been very good, the case continues and we are convinced that we will go to the end. Your question, if there is a connection between crime and justice or other structures: such connections constantly emerge from our investigations, because it is understood that crime always tries to corrupt the justice system to escape prosecution. Or trying to corrupt systems of power or administration, to gain something unfairly. These come up from time to time in investigations, without discussion. They are also proven.

DW: People expect you to have more concrete results. Will you have concrete results in the future?

Arben Kraja: If we talk in general and not only about this issue, the concrete results are continuous and have always increased. The structure has been continuously consolidated in two and a half years of activity. This can be seen either from the number of registered proceedings, from the number of sentencing decisions but especially from the number and considerable value of confiscated assets that have passed in favor of the state.

DW: During these two and a half years, what have been the biggest challenges for you, as the head of SPAK?

Arben Kraja: The biggest challenge was without a doubt the establishment of the structure, because we started almost everything from scratch, and the expectations of the public, because they were disproportionate to each other: Very high expectations and a lot of problems and a lot of work to create structure. However, the team has worked perfectly, with those shortcomings that we have had, with those people who have been, and has always been growing, more consolidated and producing a better product.

DW: Is this structure still lacking?

Arben Kraja: There are shortcomings again. The number of prosecutors has not been met, the number of investigators is half over. But we are towards the end and I believe that within this year it will be fully consolidated, in terms of number of employees.

DW: Mr. Kraja, how has the number of files and cases you receive changed, compared to the beginning of the work of this structure?

Arben Kraja: At the beginning we found a very large number of files inherited from the former Serious Crimes Prosecution, which definitely had to be subject to the relevant procedures. But there have also been an ever-increasing number of reports, from individuals or from various structures. Of course, based on the idea of ​​expectation from a new structure that will work better than previous structures. In this sense, there is a problem with the competence, because not everything that people ask for is the competence of the SPAK. And in a way we tried to give them the right direction, explaining that they should go to another institution or another prosecutor and giving them solutions. But the tendency is always increasing, both of the reports that come and of the proceedings that we register.

DW: What do Albanians denounce the most?

Arben Kraja: The problems related to properties are endless. Problems related to administration abuses, public procurement, and then come problems related to organized crime.

DW: You have been part of the judiciary for many years and in these years you have held an important task. Do you think that organized crime has changed in Albania? Has it become more challenging to fight?

Arben Kraja: Organized crime has definitely been consolidating. We especially see its activation abroad. We see structured criminal groups, intertwined with criminal groups of other countries. So, it has been consolidating, but the state must also consolidate its strike. In this sense, we have tried to continuously increase the trust of the partners in relation to the work we do, and then to work and coordinate with them continuously. I can tell you that for 2021, compared to 2020, the number of requests for legal aid that we have from abroad or procedural relations with international partners has tripled.

DW: Can you name a country with which you cooperate the most?

Arben Kraja: We have established contacts from the beginning with Italy, without discussion, because we are closer. We have stable and continuous contacts. But we cooperate with the Netherlands, with Germany, with the United States of America, with Great Britain, with Belgium. We have established direct contacts with EuroJust as well as with the region such as Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Romania.

DW: Given that the map is spread across many parts of the globe, does the National Bureau of Investigation help you in your work?

Arben Kraja: The National Bureau of Investigation is our independent structure, which operates under the Special Prosecutor and without question is the main structure with which we want to provide products. But based on the procedures that the law had and the time required to set up this structure, we are now at the moment that the second group of investigators is being trained and I believe that the second group should start working in July, so the group becomes available of prosecutors and there will certainly be an increase in the product and quality of our work.

DW: Mr. Kraja, there is high interest from the public for files such as incinerators, “January 21”, “Gerdeci”. Even for the last two, the Prime Minister of the country has appealed to you to investigate Mr. Berisha and Mr. Meta. Do you feel blackmailed by these appeals made by politicians? Does politics put pressure on your daily work?

Arben Kraja: Prosecutors have the files in front and evaluate the evidence. This is the legal concept and we do it every day. Not only politics, but we hear every day people complaining, claiming that this or that case should be investigated. It is in the context of that information that comes to be evaluated. But the important thing is that everyone has the file ahead, is independent in their decision-making and evaluates only the evidence that has been administered. For all cases that are under investigation or that the investigation is ongoing, we have given public announcements from time to time and when there is a final solution we will again give the official announcement of what has been done in that case.

DW: One last question! Do you think that by the end of your term you will meet the expectations of Albanians? Will there be high-level politicians who will go behind bars?

Arben Kraja: My mandate is related to a certain period of time. But you are looking to assess the public’s expectations for a 30-year period and the public’s shortcomings over a 2 or 3 year period. I believe we are aware that this can not be done. The important thing is that the structure is created, it is consolidated, it is on the right track and it is getting stronger day by day. So in the future there will be results.

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