Albanian General Prosecutor Ina Rama unveiled the directors and staff of six new anti-corruption units to fight economic crime on Thursday.

The new units, are modeled after the first anti-corruption taskforce at the Tirana Prosecutor's Office, which has achieved a series of successes in the last two years, and received praise from international institutions that monitor Albania's judiciary.

"The nature of [economic crime] is more sophisticated and for this reason more integrity, professionalism and courage is necessary to win this war," Rama said.

She has come under almost daily attack from government officials, or pro-government media outlets, for investigating high-level corruption within the right-wing government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Her investigations have resulted in the filing of indictments against two government ministers on charges of abuse of power and breaking tendering rules.

Both cases have been closed by the Supreme Court - which offered dubious legal arguments - following intense pressure from Berisha.

The Tirana Joint Investigative Unit to Fight Economic Crime and Corruption, which includes prosecutors and police officers, intelligence, customs and tax officials opened two years ago with the assistance of the US-funded OPDAT programme in support of the Albanian justice system.

The success of this unit has not only been a model for Albania but for other regonal states as well. Just to the north, Montenegro has organised a new taskforce of prosecutors and police, using the Albanian unit as a model.

Because of the success of the programme, six regional joint investigative units have been established across the country with US aid, in Vlore, Fier, Korce, Gjirokaster, Durres, and Shkoder.

BalkanInsight              30/10/2009