Former Justice Minister slams SPAK, Prosecutor General, and CEC Head for briefing ambassadors

Former Justice Minister and lawyer Ylli Manjani has harshly criticized the heads of Albania’s top legal and electoral institutions after they briefed foreign ambassadors on electoral crime findings. In a social media post, Manjani described the act as a “vulgar anti-state” move and called for the immediate dismissal of all three officials.

Why is this important: The meeting in question was hosted by the German Ambassador and attended by U.S., British, and French diplomatic representatives. During the event, SPAK Chief Altin Dumani, Prosecutor General Olsian Çela, and Central Election Commission head Ilirjan Celibashi presented findings from their field operations related to election-related crimes. The gathering follows a similar briefing provided weeks earlier to the British Embassy, where the same officials reportedly shared case details and investigative progress.

Manjani’s reaction: In a scathing public statement, Manjani questioned the legitimacy and appropriateness of Albanian officials reporting to foreign embassies about their official duties. While clarifying that he is neither a nationalist nor a self-proclaimed patriot, he denounced the act as damaging to the dignity and sovereignty of the Albanian state.

“It’s not just shameful—it’s a disgrace that three institutional leaders leave their offices to report to embassies about the public duties given to them by the Albanian state,” he wrote.

He went on to argue that in any functional state, all three should have been dismissed immediately.

“A normal state would have fired them right away for officially and publicly reporting on their work to a foreign embassy—whichever one it is.”

Context: The briefings by Albania’s institutional leaders appear to be part of ongoing international coordination on election oversight and anti-corruption efforts. However, the practice of reporting directly to diplomatic missions has not only raised concerns about institutional independence and accountability—especially in a politically charged pre-election climate—but also about the unacceptable degree of subservience some Albanian officials display toward foreign diplomats.