The Prosecutor’s Office reported that, “It has demanded the preventive sequestration on properties owned by these convicts as well as some commercial entities confirmed to be under the administration of these persons. The preliminary evaluation of the houses, shops, plots of land that were sequestrated shows that their value is 50 million Euros.

According to the prosecution body, “Based on investigation, there has been provided sufficient evidence that creates reasonable suspicion that these convicts have committed money laundering in collaboration with one another and it is suspected that their wives are also involved in this scheme”.

The “Preventive Sequestration” measure has also been imposed on the bank accounts of these convicts in the second tier banks./p.s./

Klajdi Karameta, deputy minister in the Ministry of Justice, was invited to present the bill to the committee. Deputy Minister Karameta clarified that this draft law takes into consideration the right to humane treatment and respect for the dignity of the individual, re-integration and social rehabilitation, positive changes in the lives of convicts, as well as their treatment according to European standards in the penitentiary system.

Speaking about number of the convicts who will benefit from the amnesty, Karameta stated that: “There are actually 5,761 prisoners and pre-trial detainees. About 600 of them are expected to benefit from the amnesty”.

In regard to the criminal offenses excluded from the amnesty, Karameta emphasized that the draft law excludes the categories of criminal offenses that carry high social risk or convicts who pose danger.

Further on, the deputy minister answered the questions of the members of the committee regarding the innovations attached to the draft law in question, which consist precisely in the provision of facilities within the criteria for the benefit of amnesty by the minor and female citizens. “They deserve one more opportunity for a faster re-integration,” said Karameta.

The review of the draft law will continue in the next meetings of the committee./p.s./

In a post in social media, Manja wrote: “promises are not forgotten”.

The purpose of this law is to exempt from serving the sentence and prosecution as a whole or partially of all persons who meet the criteria.

According to this law, the granting of amnesty is guided by the principle of humanity, the achievement of the purpose of the sentence, the low risk of the persons being granted amnesty, education and rehabilitation, as well as the protection of the public interest. /p.s./

Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja said in a briefing after the government meeting that, “This decision comes at the proposal of the Ministry of Justice and is the 30th decision taken by the government to compensate former political prisoners of the regime communist”.

“This is part of our government’s vision to guarantee until the end the rights of former political prisoners of the communist regime. Of the 9 beneficiaries, 7 are former political convicts of the communist regime with long prison sentence while two beneficiaries are families of two people who suffered the capital punishments or were executed without trial”, Manja emphasized.

According to the minister, the government’s decision today has determined the amount of financial compensation.

“We have agreed that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, we will calculate the cost in the state budget related to this category of files, and at the right moment and time, we will probably take the legal initiative to change the law and postpone the deadline”, emphasized Manja. /p.s./

The Ministry of Justice said that 200 Albanian convicts in prisons in England and Wales serving sentences of four years or more will return over the next two years to serve the remaining of their sentences in Albanian prisons.

According to the agreement, the British side will pay the costs of housing the prisoners for the entire duration of their sentence in our country and Albania will be able to increase investments for the further improvement of conditions in the prison system.

“While we give Albanian convicts in Great Britain the opportunity to serve out the remaining part of their sentence with their families, Albania will be able to further strengthen the capacities of the penitentiary system,” a press release reads.

The implementation of the agreement enters into force after the signing by Prime Minister Edi Rama and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in December 2022, as well as after the discussions that the two leaders held in London in March 2023./p.s./

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro and Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja agreed that this is the best way to reintegrate these people in the community, but also to serve the tourist season with human resources.

“We need forest rangers, especially in the summer season, when visitors to national parks increase. This is a category that has not committed damages or crimes of that extend which may pose a social risk. These people will work in the regional directorates of protected areas and will help our employees in the maintenance and surveillance of the territory”, said Kumbaro.

On his part, Manja appreciated very important for these people to re-integrate in society, but also to compensate the damage caused with work.

“Our philosophy is that punishment is the last means. For this category of offenses, persons who break the law for one reason or another, first of all we try to get these people back into society, but also make them pay back the damage to society with work”, said Minister Manja.

Minister Kumbaro stressed that during the summer season, due to the overcrowding of some coastal areas and natural parks, the help of this category would be very useful.

Under the agreement, in cooperation with the Probation Service, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment will undertake to provide the workplace where the work will be performed in the public interest in two of the dependent agencies, such as the National Coastal Agency and the National Agency of Protected Areas./m.m/j.p/r.e/p.s./