Albania Fines Officials For Concealing Assets

The agency said it had slapped a fine of 50,000 lek on Deputy Defence Minister Drtian Hila and Socialist Party MP Rakip Suli for failing to file their declarations of private interests, within 30 days of their appointments as required by law.

HIDAACI also announced that, contrary to previous practice, it will make the names of other officials who are penalized public.

The agency recently filed charges against two judges and an ambassador, accused of hiding their wealth.

The charges follow the appointment on February 20 of Shkelqin Ganaj as the new head of HIDAACI, following parliament's dismissal of his predecessor, Zana Xhuka.

Ganaj has accused both his two predecessors, Xhuka and Adriatik Lalla, of failing to investigate and report on criminal investigations of officials accused of hiding assets and cash.

He has ordered a total review of the files on senior state officials from 2003 onwards.

Llala, who served as chief inspector of HIDAACI from 2007 to 2012, is currently Albania’s general prosecutor.