Salji Berisha, former prime minister and now the leader of the main opposition party in Albania, said today that an indictment has been officially brought against him for corruption in connection with the privatization of public land, and assessed that it was a politically motivated act.
In October last year, Berisha was under investigation on suspicion of abusing his public office so that his son-in-law Jamarber Maltezi could privatize public land in the capital Tirana and build 17 residential buildings.
The leader of the opposition Democratic Party, who is 79 years old, has been under house arrest since December because he violated a previous agreement with the court to report to the authorities every two weeks. He is also prohibited from traveling abroad.
Today, Beriša went to the office of the special prosecutor, known as the Special Structure for the Fight against Organized Crime, where the indictment was read to him for about half an hour.
According to his words, on that occasion he was addressed as "the accused" and he was handed a file with evidence on about 500 pages. He called these evidences "lies".
Maltese, who in addition to investing is also involved in politics, was also summoned today to be informed that an indictment for corruption has been officially filed against him.
In December, the Albanian parliament deprived Berisha of criminal immunity.
Berisha claims that both his arrest and the investigation against him are a reflection of political repression ordered by Prime Minister Edi Rama, leader of the ruling Socialist Party.
"Nothing has changed. This is a continuation of political revenge," Berisha told reporters in front of the special prosecutor's office after rejecting all accusations of corruption. He was greeted by a crowd of supporters, who cheered him in support and criticized the government.
Berisha was the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997. He was the Prime Minister for eight years - from 2005 to 2013. In the 2021 parliamentary elections, he returned to the parliamentary bench of the Assembly of Albania as a representative of the Democratic Party.
Elections in Albania are next year. If Berisha is convicted or if he continues to be tried at the time of their holding, it could be impossible for him to be elected in the elections.
The USA banned Berisha and his family members from entering those countries in May 2021, and Great Britain in July 2022 - due to accusations of corruption.
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