TIRANA, April 4 /ATA/ -By Maela Marini/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday that the Justice Reform was implemented to make sure that no one is untouchable in Albania.
In a joint press conference with the World Bank country manager in Albania, Emanuel Salinas, the Prime Minister responded to the journalists about the Transparency International report on the level of corruption in the country.
“Transparency International does not speak about corrupt governance, to be clear, because of course the number 1 job of anyone with a microphone and a pen is not to distort the source of information on which they elaborate. Transparency International talks about corruption, which is not a partial phenomenon but a general phenomenon and it does not point the finger at the government, it says: ‘in all sectors of life, all governments. It talks about the executive, the judiciary and the fourth govt. which is the media, which is another important source of corruption,” said Rama.
The Prime Minister added that “corruption in the media is of criminal proportions because it is based on blackmail, extortion of businesses, of public actors for unreported financial benefits.”
Based on the journalist’s question, Rama clarified that the fact that there are already ministers in prison shows that the Justice Reform is working.
“What does this mean, a minister in prison, 3 ministers in prison, a deputy prime minister under investigation, which is not yet official. Is it positive or negative in the fight against corruption? What did you expect from the Justice Reform that was conceived and led by me together with the SP for more than 8 years? What did you expect from the Justice Reform, to confirm that everyone is an angel or that everyone is a devil?” said Rama.
“That’s why we implemented the Justice Reform to make sure that no one is untouchable. Let justice work equally for everyone and let something that has not happened since there was an Albanian state happen, that people linked with the current government are held to account. This is why I conceived the Justice Reform. If you supported it for something else, I don’t know. It has never happened in the history of Albania and it was this government and this majority to enable a crackdown on corruption by justice without the politics and the executive meddling in the work of justice. “
/sm/
