Albanian Prosecutors Disciplined over Gangland Trial Row

The trial of the notorious alleged underworld figure Emiljano Shullazi is nearing its end, but a lack of a lead prosecutor has prevented the Serious Crime Prosecution Office from delivering its closing arguments for the past seven weeks.

On August 1, the previous lead prosecutor in the trial, Elisabeta Ymeraj, left to become temporary head of the Tirana Prosecution Office, and no replacement has yet been found.

Another prosecutor who could have taken over the Shullazi case, Ened Nakuci, requested six months of sick leave.

Meanwhile prosecutor Besim Hajdarmataj was present in court on September 11, but requested more time to study the case.

The head of the Serious Crime Prosecution Office, Donika Prela, was then confronted with open resistance from prosecutors when she attempted to draw lots for a prosecutor to take on the case.

On Thursday, the General Prosecutor's Office said it has initiated disciplinary proceedings against 10 of the 17 prosecutors at the Serious Crime Prosecution Office.

"Due to the refusal of prosecutors to participate in the drawing of lots, [temporary] General Prosecutor Arta Marku has ordered the start of disciplinary procedures against them," Marku's press office announced.

Hours later, Marku's press office said that three of the protesting prosecutors have been "relocated".

Besim Hajdarmataj, a career prosecutor known lately for his investigation into former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, was relocated to the small town of Pogradec in eastern Albania, while two others also sent to work in smaller towns.

Some of the prosecutors involved in the row told BIRN that they saw the drawing of lots procedure as illegal and said they believed that the Shullazi case should be taken on by...

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