Gogu said the review of the code was aimed at strengthening safeguards for citizens while ensuring that the authorities’ efforts to tackle serious crime remained unchanged.

“No changes to the Criminal Procedure Code undermine the fight against corruption, organised crime or serious criminal offences. This fight is non-negotiable,” Gogu said. “The review aims to strengthen citizens’ safeguards without in any way weakening the fight against serious crime.”

Theo Byl, an Antwerp Court of Appeal judge and Council of Europe expert, also backed the proposed changes, saying that provisions that could have made it harder to investigate high-level corruption and organised crime cases had been dropped during the discussions.

Byl said Albania’s criminal legislation and procedures were being brought closer into line with international standards and described the proposed package as an important tool.

“I am a judge at the Antwerp Court of Appeal dealing with high-level corruption cases. During the discussions, many changes and ideas that would have made investigations into corruption and high-level organised crime more difficult were left aside,” Byl said.

“I think Albanian legislation and criminal procedure are being brought into line with international standards. At this point, I strongly support the implementation of this system throughout your Criminal Procedure Code,” he said.

Byl said the proposed amendments were the result of months of detailed work.

“I think this law is a very good instrument. It is the result of serious work over many months,” he said.

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Speaking at the opening of his podcast “Flasim” (Let’s Talk), PM Rama welcomed the appointment of Klodian Braho as the new head of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Prosecution Structure (SPAK), expressing hope that the anti-corruption body would reach “a new level of professionalism” in combating organised crime and corruption under his leadership.

Rama praised outgoing SPAK chief prosecutor Altin Dumani, saying he had elevated the institution to a higher standard.

“This week SPAK elected its new head, who will succeed Altin Dumani, the chief prosecutor who raised the institution to another level, turning – through the power of personal example above all – what once seemed an unrealised slogan into a concrete and historic fact: a justice system that does not look left or right, but only straight ahead,” Rama said.

Turning to the new chief prosecutor, Rama said he hoped Braho would guide SPAK, in the next three years, to higher professional standards, particularly in tackling corruption.

“The fight against corruption cannot be considered fully successful if it is masked by statistics drawn from the ‘big sack’, as the vague offence of abuse of office is often called,” Rama said.

He added that the European Union had recently issued a new directive addressing similar concerns, including the misuse of investigative material in the media.

“These are not only our concerns, nor are they about media spectacles of the ‘Big Brother’ type, with phone transcripts unlawfully released from investigative files – an area where the EU also has very strict legal frameworks,” Rama said.

The prime minister said he was confident that SPAK’s six years of experience, its “undeniable achievements” and what he described as the necessary modesty to assess its work critically would enable the institution to reach the level expected of it within the next three years.

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