During her first meeting with SPAK chief Klodjan Braho, EU Ambassador stressed the importance of an independent and effective institution in combating organised crime and high-level corruption.

“In my first meeting with Chief Special Prosecutor Klodian Braho, I reaffirmed the EU’s continued, firm support for an independent and effective SPAK. SPAK’s work against organised crime and high-level corruption is essential to upholding the rule of law in Albania,” the ambassador said.

She added that achieving further concrete results in the fight against organised crime and corruption remained a key element of Albania’s progress towards EU membership.

“Continuing to deliver tangible results in the fight against organised crime and corruption is a key element of Albania’s progress towards EU membership,” EU Ambassador Sofia Moreira de Sousa said.

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Addressing the parliamentary committee on electoral reform, Braho said SPAK had registered 157 criminal investigations into election-related offences from 2021 to 2025, out of 233 reports received.

Of those, 46 investigations were opened in 2025, while two have been registered so far this year.

Braho said the figures showed election-related crime intensified during election years, although investigations often continued beyond polling day.

He noted that, for the May 11, 2025 parliamentary election, SPAK processed 194 reports of suspected electoral offences and adopted a more proactive approach by launching nearly a quarter of all investigations on its own initiative rather than waiting for complaints.

Braho also pointed to recurring concerns highlighted by OSCE/ODIHR, including vote-buying, pressure on voters and public employees, misuse of state resources and campaign financing.

He said prison sentences in election crime cases averaged around 13 months, with many offenders receiving alternatives to custody, suggesting the deterrent effect of current penalties may be insufficient.

Braho said any review of penal policy should differentiate between the roles of voters, candidates, political party representatives and public officials involved in electoral corruption schemes.

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Speaking at a conference marking the completion of the transitional re-evaluation process for judges and prosecutors, Braho said the vetting process had played a key role in transforming Albania’s justice system and strengthening public confidence in judicial institutions.

According to Braho, the screening process helped renew the judiciary and introduced new standards of accountability and integrity.

“Public trust in the justice system cannot be achieved without individual accountability,” Braho said. “The standards established through vetting are reflected in the daily work of judges and prosecutors, who have undergone rigorous scrutiny designed to safeguard public confidence.”

He thanked all institutions and stakeholders involved in the process, describing the vetting exercise as a historic milestone for Albania’s justice system.

Addressing the impact of the reform on SPAK, Braho said the process had been instrumental in the creation and consolidation of the country’s new justice institutions.

“For SPAK, vetting has played a particularly important role,” he said. “Today, the justice system represents the public interest with professionalism and impartiality. The institutions established through the justice reform have reached the level of maturity required to fulfil their mandate. Our challenge now is to preserve the standards that have been achieved.”

The conference focused on the results of the vetting process to date and the challenges involved in safeguarding the standards introduced through Albania’s landmark justice reform.

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According to the Embassy, the meeting focused on continued cooperation and assistance from the United Kingdom to Albania’s anti-corruption and anticrime body.

“Both sides reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United Kingdom and Albania, particularly in the fight against serious organised crime, as a shared priority,” the Embassy said in a statement.

Braho was elected head of SPAK on Dec. 11, 2025, receiving seven votes from members of the High Prosecutorial Council. He was chosen from among four candidates and will serve a three-year term, replacing Altin Dumani.

He formally took office on Dec. 22 as the new chief of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Prosecution Office.

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Gonzatoi said he congratulated Braho for SPAK’s achievements to date and underlined the importance of continuing to deliver tangible results in the fight against organised crime and corruption, a key factor in Albania’s progress towards EU accession.

According to EU Ambassador, strengthening investigative capacities and ensuring high standards in investigations and prosecutions is key to consolidating progress and achieving sustainable results.

“The EU remains fully committed to supporting SPAK and the rule of law in Albania,” Gonzato stated.

Braho was appointed head of SPAK in December 2025 for a three-year term, following the end of Altin Dumani’s term in office.

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In a social media post, Rama also praised outgoing SPAK chief Altin Dumani for what he called the institution’s “undeniable accomplishments” during his three-year term.

“Best of luck to the new head of SPAK, who was elected today from among four candidates to carry forward the work of the institution’s third mandate, taking over from the current chief prosecutor, who deserves praise for SPAK’s undeniable achievements over the past three years,” Rama said.

The government head said the special anticorruption prosecution body would continue to enjoy the “unwavering support” of the ruling majority as it carries out its mission “independently and under optimal conditions.”

Earlier today, Prosecutor Klodian Braho was elected to a three-year term, with no option for reappointment. Braho received seven votes from the members of the High Prosecutorial Council, defeating Adnan Xholi, who secured three votes.

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Gonzato, who closely followed the public hearings of all four candidates for the post, said that SPAK plays a crucial role in Albania’s fight against organised crime and corruption.

“We were present at the High Prosecutorial Council to express full support for the Council in accomplishing this important task and their interest in the selection of the new Chief of the Special Prosecution, given SPAK’s fundamental role in the fight against organized crime and corruption, an essential pillar of the EU accession process,” EU Ambassador said in a press statement.

“Yesterday, I emphasized that the new Chief of the Special Prosecution must demonstrate integrity, independence, resilience, and adherence to the highest European standards,” EU Ambassador Gonzato said.

Congratulating Braho on his appointment, Gonzato underlined that the EU looks forward to working closely with new special prosecutor and his team in the months and years ahead.

Earlier today, Prosecutor Klodian Braho was elected to a three-year term, with no option for reappointment.

Braho received seven votes from the members of the High Prosecutorial Council, defeating Adnan Xholi, who secured three votes. The vote closes the succession race triggered by the end of Altin Dumani’s three-year mandate.

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The Delegation of the European Union in Tirana said Tuesday that Chief Special Prosecutor Altin Dumani represented Albania in a first-ever trilateral meeting of senior officials from the EU, Latin America, and the Western Balkans on the fight organised crime and drug trafficking.

“More than 100 participants attended the event organised by the European Commission, including representatives from 18 EU Member States,” the EU Delegation noted.

According to the EU Delegation, “Dumani underlined SPAK’s tangible results, achieved in cooperation with international partners and EU Agencies, in identifying and analysing encrypted communications used to coordinate illegal activities.

“International cooperation led to important arrests in Albania and across Europe and to dismantling cross border criminal groups, including those with links in Latin America,” the Delegation said in a post on the social media.

The EU Delegation noted Dumani’s message was that “only a coordinated response can deliver results against criminal networks that operate globally, was strongly echoed by the EU representatives as well as other participants.”

“They agreed on a need for an even closer judicial and law enforcement cooperation including on intelligence sharing, financial investigations and analysis, and in joint investigation teams,” the EU Delegation in Tirana concluded.

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The vacancy was officially announced three months ahead of the end of the current mandate of SPAK Chief Altin Dumani, whose term expires on December 18, 2025.

“The head of SPAK is elected from among its prosecutors by a majority vote of the KLP members, for a non-renewable three-year term,” said Sokol Stojani, the reporting member during the Council’s session.

Stojani added that procedures must begin no later than three months before the incumbent’s term ends, in accordance with the law.

Eligible candidates – limited to current SPAK prosecutors – will have until October 8 to submit their applications and required documentation, including a strategic platform outlining their vision and relevant professional experience.

Altin Dumani, appointed on Dec. 16, 2022, is SPAK’s second chief after Arben Kraja.

Kraja became the first SPAK head in December 2019. Once he leaves the leadership post, Dumani will continue serving as a special prosecutor within SPAK until the end of his nine-year mandate.

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Dumani and his colleagues exchanged information and engaged with the highest-level Brazilian police officials and prosecutors about the immense power and role Albanian organized crime groups have in transporting massive amounts of cocaine from South America to Europe.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) facilitated the visit, which was funded by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

Dumani was joined by four other SPAK prosecutors, SPAK’s legal advisor, an NBI investigator, and the SPAK-embedded U.S. Resident Legal Advisor and FBI agent.

“The visit in Brazil underscored the vital role of Albania’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies in dismantling transnational crime networks,” Chief Special Prosecutor Dumani said.

“Strengthening SPAK’s partnership and establishing direct communication channels with our counterparts in Brazil is essential for tracking and intercepting criminal activities that affect both our countries. Together, we are making significant strides in combating the cocaine trafficking routes that threaten the security of Albania and the EU,” he said.

The delegation was briefed by Brazil’s Director and Deputy Director for Drugs and Weapons Enforcement, Director of International Police Cooperation, Director of International Legal Cooperation, Director and Deputy Director of Financial Investigations, and Chief Prosecutor working against the Primeiro Comando do Capital (PCC) gang that controls most of the cocaine distribution network in Brazil.

The delegation also met with agents and analysts of other U.S. law enforcement agencies in Brazil, including the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations).

The Brazilian officials warmly welcomed Chief Special Prosecutor Dumani and his colleagues, complimenting SPAK’s achievements and highlighting the important role SPAK can play internationally in reducing the dangerous influence of Albanian organized criminals’ in Brazil and the region.

The SPAK and Brazilian authorities agreed to assist each other with sharing information and locating fugitives, expanding vital channels of communications among law enforcement and prosecutors and enhancing SPAK’s ability to effectively combat Albanian organized criminals operating in Brazil and neighboring countries.

Chief Special Prosecutor Dumani also highlighted the critical support from the United States, especially from OPDAT, whose facilitation of this visit enabled the SPAK team to forge these important connections.

“The backing of our U.S. partners has been invaluable in empowering SPAK to tackle complex international crime, and equipping us with the tools and alliances needed to face organized crime on a global scale,” Dumani said.

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