Former Environment Minister sent to prison for role in incinerator affair
The Special Anti-Corruption Court of Appeals, found the former Minister of Environment Lefter Koka guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison, reduced to 6 years and 8 months after opting for a shortened trial for the Elbasan Incinerator case. Meanwhile, former Socialist MP Alqi Bllako, who served as Secretary General under Koka at the Ministry of Environment, was sentenced to 4 years, which translates to 2 years and 8 months with the same reduction.
Why is this important: Lefter Koka is the second former minister to be handed a definitive prison sentence under Albania’s new justice system. The first was former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, who was among the first high-profile figures prosecuted by the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) for abuse of office. These convictions signal that Albania’s culture of impunity for high-ranking officials may be ending. Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has seen several of his former associates prosecuted by SPAK, expressed satisfaction that corrupt officials are being held accountable. He credited his party and himself for pushing forward the judicial reform that led to these prosecutions. The new justice institutions have pursued a wide range of high-profile figures, including a former president, a former prime minister, and several ex-ministers and mayors.
Context: The sentencing requests for Koka and Bllako were initially filed by SPAK in April after the anti-corruption body disagreed with the first-instance court’s decision. SPAK sought to add charges of “abuse of office” for both men and appealed Bllako’s initial acquittal. The Appeals Court found both men guilty of abuse of office, overturning Bllako’s earlier acquittal. Koka’s original sentence of 5 years and 8 months was increased to 6 years and 8 months, while Bllako received a definitive sentence of 2 years and 8 months. Additionally, Bllako was informed today that he is now a suspect in the Tirana Incinerator case.
What’s next: The Appeals Court has upheld asset seizures, converting them into confiscations. This includes properties and companies associated with the convicted, which have been ordered to shut down. Meanwhile, business figures like Klodian Zoto and Stela Gugallja remain wanted and unaccounted for.
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