Albania: Former minister jailed for abuse of power
An Albanian court has sentenced former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri to three years and four months in prison without parole for abuse of power.
A court in Albania has ruled that former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri should face up to three years and four months in prison for abuse of power, overturning a lower court ruling that suspended his release.
Tahiri was found guilty in 2019 of abuse of power when he was interior minister, between 2013-17. He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison with a suspension, while he was acquitted of drug trafficking charges.
The prosecutor's office appealed the decision at first instance. Today, the Supreme Court ruled that the former minister received gifts from drug traffickers and abused his power. He denies any wrongdoing. "I'm sorry that this is how things turned out. I never broke the law. "It's just unfair," he wrote on his Facebook page after the judges' verdict became known.
By law, he should start serving his sentence immediately.
Tahiri was once a close ally of Prime Minister Eddy Rama. His case, however, did not affect the popularity of Rama, who secured a third term as prime minister in the April 2021 elections.
