Chief Prosecutor Ina Rama announced on Tuesday (October 5th) that her office will investigate every corruption case brought to its attention once it has secured the information it needs to proceed.

Her statement was in reaction to calls by both Prime Minister Sali Berisha and President Bamir Topi, each of whom urged the judiciary to investigate every public accusation, amid a series of them flying between the government and the opposition.

For example, last month, the opposition Socialist Party claimed that 240 concessions granted to build hydro-plants in Albania over the past five years stemmed from private deals that line the pockets of government officials and their relatives.

In response, members of the ruling Democratic Party accused Tirana Mayor and SP leader Edi Rama of receiving bribes of up to 20% of the value of a new apartment block, in exchange for construction licenses.

SETimes.com               06/10/2010