Another Albanian politician, Plarent Ndreca, a member of the Socialist Party and former Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, is now under investigation by the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Ndreca is accused of breaching equality in tender processes regarding the reconstruction of four police stations across the country. His tenure in the role spanned from July 2019 to September 2020.

Why is this important: This development makes Ndreca the third politician to be charged by SPAK in October alone. Earlier this month, the former President, now leading the opposition Freedom Party, was arrested on multiple charges. Just days before, political representative Jurgis Cyrbja was also detained, shortly after his resignation, for crimes including “disclosing state secrets” and “supporting the author of a crime” as well as “active corruption in elections.” 

Additionally, since last December, the head of the Democratic Party has been under house arrest for passive corruption aimed at favoring his son-in-law while in government. This marks the first time in Albanian history that justice bodies are targeting such high levels of politics, with even the former socialist Deputy Prime Minister accused last year of hiding assets, though he fled the country before an arrest warrant could be executed.

Context: The accusations against Ndreca were initiated by a report from the State Supreme Audit, which suspected him and other officials at the Ministry of Interior of allowing legal deviations and discrepancies in the tendering processes for upgrades at the police stations in Vlora, Mirdita, Pogradec, and station number 4 in Tirana. The audit revealed several breaches of public procurement laws that jeopardized the fairness of the tender participants. The audit also noted unjustified increases in construction and design costs during these procedures, which took place under the leadership of then-Interior Minister Sandër Lleshaj.

What’s Next: The opposition Democratic Party has repeatedly claimed that the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK) operates under the influence of the Prime Minister. However, evidence suggests that SPAK has been vigorously pursuing members of the ruling Socialist majority suspected of corruption, arguably even more aggressively. The responses to these actions have been starkly contrasting: while the Democratic Party and other opposition groups have consistently criticized and threatened SPAK and its prosecutors whenever their members are targeted, the Socialist Party has consistently upheld support for SPAK’s initiatives, refraining from any attacks. This stance is in clear alignment with Albania’s international partners, including the EU and the US, who played a pivotal role in the justice reform that established SPAK. Moving forward, it will be interesting to observe how the opposition adapts their strategy, especially following their announcement of a protest against the arrest of the former president.