Florian Habilaj

Saimir Tahiri. Photo: EPA-EFE/MALTON DIBRA

The trial in Albania of the former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri is approaching the finish line with prosecutors demanding a 12-year sentence for him and Jaeld Çela, a former police officer who is currently on the run.

The US ambassador to Albania Donald Lu warned on Sunday that pressure is high on the judges handling the case of former interior minister Saimir Tahiri - who is expected to appear before the Serious Crime Appeals Court on Monday after being put under house arrest on May 12.

The chair of the Albanian parliament's Council for Regulations, Mandates, and Immunities, Gramoz Ruci, has postponed to Saturday a decision on the request of Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes to allow the arrest of former Interior Minister and current MP Saimir Tahiri.

Albania's Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes has asked the country's parliament to greenlight the arrest of MP and former Interior Minister Samir Tahiri, after confirming it suspected he had played a role in a crime ring smuggling cannabis to Italy.

Media in Italy and Albania on Tuesday started to release transcripts of Italian police wiretaps of alleged drug smugglers, in which they mention former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri as someone they paid off with drug money.

The alleged drug smugglers speculate in the wiretaps that Tahiri used the money in Albania's electoral campaign.