In a statement to the media from the press room at “Mother Teresa” International Airport, immediately upon his return from the United States, Rama emphasized: “I have just returned from New York, where, as you know, I represented Albania during the United Nations General Assembly week. I decided to come straight here to ‘Mother Teresa’ Airport because the developments of recent days—following the house arrest order for the former head of the Intelligence Service—require an immediate and direct, face-to-face address. It was undoubtedly an extreme measure, given that it involved exposing a key state institution. However, I have neither the right nor the intention to delve into the contents of the case file, the assessment of the evidence or the reasons that led the prosecution to request—and the court to order—that measure,” said Rama.

The head of government stated, “I have never done so before and I will not do so in this instance either. Any reasonable suspicion regarding this process must be fully investigated. Any accusation leveled against anyone must be either proven or dismissed through an independent, impartial and due judicial process.”

“Any measure restricting the liberty of an individual—provided they do not hold parliamentary immunity—ordered by the prosecution can only be challenged in court, not from the Prime Minister’s podium or political rostrums. These guiding principles governing my conduct and that of the ruling majority regarding individual judicial cases have been, and remain, the standard for everyone,” Rama said.

However, Rama continued, respect for the independence of the judiciary does not imply silence when a matter of principle arises during the course of its operations. “Specifically in this case, beyond the individual criminal matter, there is another fundamental issue concerning the state—one that cannot simply be overlooked as if it never happened. During the imposition of the measure and the judicial handling of the case file, an institution of particular sensitivity regarding state security and reputation was exposed to the risk of severe damage—damage that could and should have been entirely prevented. It took the investigative file’s data flooding through social media channels and media outlets before the court ordered—far too late—restrictions on their publication; an order that, naturally, met with no success,” Rama emphasized.

Further on, PM Rama stated, “When an investigation reaches the level of the country’s intelligence chief, it is no longer merely an issue for an independent branch of government; it becomes a matter concerning the entire state. Consequently, this seemingly casual approach has left all our partners speechless. In other words, while it is certainly not the first time in history that the head of an intelligence service has been charged as a defendant, it is the first time that the intelligence agency itself has become the subject of national and international media gossip—all because none of the standard measures that states typically adopt in such an unfortunate situation were taken.”

Furthermore, PM Rama remarked, “The separation of powers can by no means be interpreted as a detachment from state responsibility—a point we have encountered before. The time has therefore come for us to address this matter collectively and seriously.”

“I believe the Security Council, set to convene tomorrow by the President of the Republic, is the right forum to reflect on institutional responsibilities and discuss the safeguards needed to protect our institutions—especially those concerning national security—when their leaders or employees go off track and become the subject of a criminal investigation,” said Rama. /p.s./

AGSH Chairman Isa Myzyraj said the association had asked the court to suspend the rules and ultimately declare them unconstitutional.

“We are convinced that these regulations undermine media freedom and journalists’ right to inform the public about what takes place inside the Special Anti-Corruption Court,” Myzyraj told reporters.

He said the 127-page petition focused on freedom of expression and the right to information, which he described as fundamental pillars of democracy. It also challenged restrictions on media and public access to the court.

Myzyraj criticized GJKKO for failing to consult journalists before adopting the rules, despite calls for dialogue.

The new regulations, which took effect on Sept. 1, prohibit journalists from attending court hearings with their mobile phones.

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The opposition specifically referred to an April 9 session of the Supreme Court’s United Chambers to review issues related to the pre-detention security measure.

Gazment Bardhi, head of DP’s parliamentary group, said the move appeared to be a personal initiative by Chief Justice Sokol Sadushi without clear legal justification. He warned the initiative comes at a sensitive moment in Albania’s anti-corruption efforts, with several current and former senior officials under investigation or subject to security measures on charges including corruption and abuse of office.

Bardhi noted that Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj is currently the only serving senior official in detention, and expressed concern that any change in the interpretation of pre-trial detention could also affect high-profile organized crime figures.

The letter also cited recent public remarks by senior government officials, including the prime minister, criticizing the use of pre-trial detention, raising concerns over possible influence or pressure on judicial institutions.

DP said there is reasonable public concern that a softer interpretation of the measure could alter the status of detainees, potentially undermining public trust in judicial independence and anti-corruption efforts.

It urged embassies to closely monitor the Supreme Court’s deliberations, promote transparency, and support adherence to international rule-of-law standards. The party added that safeguarding judicial independence and accountability for senior officials is essential for Albania’s European Union integration process.

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The prime minister appreciated it as a unique and absurd precedent that harms the normal functioning of institutions and the public interest.

Rama wrote in a post on the X platform that due to this suspension, the process for finalizing the bilateral agreement with Canada that would pave the way for the launch of transoceanic air flights between Albania and Canada has remained blocked.

Rama emphasized that the Canadian side has already given a positive response after technical discussions, but the procedure cannot move forward without the minister’s signature, a competence that by Constitution is not delegated.

According to him, the suspension risks that the flights planned to start in June 2026 will be postponed due to the inability to approve and sign the agreement.

“Here are concrete examples from my working desk today showing the reasons why I have asked the Constitutional Court to lift the absurd suspension of a member of the government and why suspending a minister (for the first time in the world) brings consequences that specifically violate the functioning of the government and the public interest”, wrote Rama.

The prime minister added that in addition to this process, 36 other acts of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy are currently blocked, of which 18 are related to reconstruction projects. /gj.m/j.p/p.s./

The government argued that the ruling created a conflict of authority between the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers on one side, and the special court on the other.

The government requested the annulment of Balluku’s suspension and the temporary suspension of the court’s decision until the Constitutional Court reviews the case.

The appeal also calls for clarification of the constitutional protections for ministers, noting that members of the Council of Ministers enjoy parliamentary-style immunity and procedural guarantees under the law.

The Constitutional Court has assigned member Sandër Beci as rapporteur for the case.

The Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime yesterday decided to suspend Balluku from office and impose a travel ban as part of an ongoing corruption investigation led by the Special Prosecutor’s Office.

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A business, located near the Pyramid in Tirana, had fail to fulfill its fiscal obligations, committing fiscal evasion worth 314 thousand euros.

“314,000 hidden euros were discovered by the Tax Administration thanks to a citizen who denounced the business in Tirana downtown for fiscal evasion. We thank citizens for their cooperation and encourage taxpayers to reflect and fulfill their fiscal obligations, to avoid heavy penalties”, said the General Directorate of Taxes in its reaction.

After monitoring and identification on the ground of the business in question, the Tax Administration identified other violations, including undeclared employees. /k.s/r.e/p.s./

The Special Court Against Organized Crime ruled on Wednesday that Tirana Mayor should remain in custody while he is under investigation on corruption charges.

Veliaj’s reaction is related to a detail he considers highly scandalous regarding his case. Veliaj insisted on his innocence and blamed the prosecutor responsible for his arrest for intentionally including supposed evidence, suggesting that Tirana Mayor had previous criminal records.

“This is not a lapse, but an attempt to manipulate the process against me and my family,” Vealiaj stated, accusing prosecutor Olsi Dado of intentionally misinforming the public.

Veliaj announced that he will make public all the mistakes and manipulations with the case against him.

Prosecutor acknowledged at the court hearing a day ago that it was an error in compiling the documents, but Veliaj considers this a “Freudian slip” that reveals the behind-the-scenes nature of the process against him.

Speaking in court yesterday, Veliaj, who was elected by the people, insisted he had done nothing wrong and was being targeted for his dedication.

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“To me, this is purely a matter of Albania and a matter of the Albanian justice. “What happens in Greece and what they do with individuals with same nationality is none of my business,” PM Rama stated when asked about the case of Fredi Beleri during a televised interview.

The government head stated that the case is totally a matter of justice and nobody can negotiate about it.

“In this process of Albania’s state-building process, this is an aspect we cannot negotiate with anyone, Rama added.

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At the end of her speech, Zaçaj answered the questions of journalists on the case of Dionisios Alfred Beleri.

Zaçaj said that the case has passed for consideration into plenary session and that none of the parties involved in this process has submitted any request for acceleration of the trial procedures.

“Based on the way this information was conveyed in some media organs, we clarify once again that in this case none of the parties in the constitutional trial has submitted a request to the Court for the acceleration of this trial”, she said.

Zaçaj clarified that in regard to the petition of some residents of the Municipality of Himara, the latter do not have the status of a party in this trial, in the sense of Article 39 of the organic law of the Court, therefore this petition is not considered as a request for acceleration purpose of the constitutional judgment./p.s./

Speaking to reporters before entering the SPAK premises, Meta said that he considered the case about which he was called as simply a soap-opera.

“I was called for the CEZ-DIA soap opera”, said Meta.

“It is a soap opera about which there has been a trial twice; the trial was reopened for the specific case in December 2019 by a false claim of a person who was convicted twice by the courts for defamation and who was also convicted by the court even for domestic violence”, said Meta.

Meanwhile, after leaving the SPAK where he stayed for about 2 hours, Meta told reporters that he was asked by the prosecutors as a person who is aware about the circumstances, as far as the investigations on the CEZ-DIA case are concerned.

He reiterated that his name is not in any act or document.

“My answer is what I have said before and that I will emphasize in any case; there is no act, no document, no order, no initiative for laws, by-laws by Ilir Meta in the then quality of Minister of Economy or Deputy Prime Minister in nobody’s interest, including DIA and CEZ and even the Ministry of Economy as the owner of 100% of the shares of KESH, has denounced ERE’s decision to purchase energy to the detriment of consumers”, said Meta.

“I appeared as a person aware about certain circumstances. I was asked about various details that have no significance”, Meta emphasized.

Meta denied that he knew Kastriot Ismailaj, the only one convicted of this case.

“I am not surprised by any abuse of justice; it does not bother me at all. I am here in front of you and in front of the citizens and no one should have the illusion that in this way they will be able to make Meta or the opposition lose the focus from the battle against this regime”, emphasized Meta, adding that he will always be ready to face justice./p.s./