TIRANA, May 14 /ATA/ – By I. Vata/ Minister of Justice, Etilda Gjonaj, at the event on protection of the territory and strict adherence to the Criminal Code for illegal activities, stated that the government has made legal changes to guarantee 100 percent protection of the territory in the public interest.
In her remarks, Gjonaj highlighted the importance of attending this meeting. All legal amendments adopted by the govt. are intended to protect the territory and address the issues related to unauthorized constructions or law violations by various entities, starting from investors to any entity involved in the process of construction.
A legal package that has entered into force clearly defines the responsibilities of each of the roles by the entities. Identification of construction responsibilities in the aftermath of the earthquake brought to light the need for legal changes to discipline the activity of construction as well as stipulate administrative measures and criminal prosecution for the violations of investors, architects, controllers and supervisors.
“Also, the legal framework is already completed regarding the responsibilities of the State Police in prevention, detection and investigation in accordance with the legislation in force of criminal offenses and suspected perpetrators, as well as the coordination of work with relevant inspectorates in the field of construction, environmental and territorial control, for taking administrative actions and starting legal proceedings. The State Police have the necessary legal powers to prevent illegal constructions and to investigate / refer to the criminal prosecution any subject who has committed an illegal construction, as well as those subjects which failed to exercise legal responsibilities during the construction process and allowed the breach of construction permit. The harmful consequences of the earthquake made us realize that, any tolerance in the quality of construction or in adherence to the regulation translates into losses of human lives and a heavy economic toll. A construction built without a permit, or in violation of a building permit, is like a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment. This type of construction was neither designed by an expert nor checked by state authorities for its safety and suitability as it has actually happened,” she said.
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