TIRANA, Sept 30 /ATA/ The parliamentary committee on internal affairs debated national security concerns and the latest developments in the investigation into the State Intelligence Service, with opposition MP Klevis Balliu raising questions over the functioning and security of state institutions.
“Not only are we unable to tackle money laundering or other issues through these institutions, but we effectively lack even the most basic level of security, as institutions at the highest levels of security have fallen into the hands of organised crime,” he said.
The Democratic Party MP called on the Committee on Internal Affairs and Defence to make national security a priority and summon the relevant institutions to provide explanations about the situation.
Meanwhile, Republican Party leader Fatmir Mediu, explaining his vote against the committee’s agenda, said concerns over the situation should be addressed through the relevant institutions and procedures.
“To put our concern more briefly, which I believe is shared by all of us regardless of our political affiliations, as a committee dealing with security issues, I think it is in the country’s interest for us to address a request to the institutions that selected the director of the State Intelligence Service, to examine whether the procedures were followed and all aspects related to the vetting of those appointed,” Mediu said.
Bledi Çuçi, chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs and Defence, said the President convened the National Security Council on Monday, where the State Intelligence Service presented an initial briefing on the situation.
He said the meeting also called for a comprehensive audit to be conducted promptly to assess any potential impact on the agency’s operations. According to Çuçi, the National Security Council is expected to meet again soon, when the findings of the audit will be presented in greater detail.
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