The Head of the Special Prosecution Office, Altin Dumani, reported today to the Parliament on the work of SPAK during 2024, highlighting the challenges and issues the institution has faced. He emphasized the external pressure exerted by organized crime, politics and the media on SPAK, which according to him directly affects the effectiveness of investigations and the constitutional independence of special prosecutors.
Dumani said that a more coordinated response from state institutions is needed to protect the integrity of SPAK and prosecutors investigating sensitive cases. He also recalled that the status of prosecutors after the end of their mandate remains unclear, which he believes could undermine the continuity of professional standards of investigation.
In the presented report, the head of SPAK listed several issues that remain problematic, the lack of legal advisors at the special prosecution office, which affects the quality of investigations, the low number of referrals from public institutions, including the State Police, for criminal offenses in the field of corruption and organized crime, the suspension of the project for the completion of the Case Management System, which is expected to be finalized during 2025 with EU funding.
Dumani also stressed that the establishment of an analysis unit for complex investigations, which will support the work of SPAK in reporting to domestic and international institutions, remains a challenge. He also highlighted the issues related to the status of liaison specialists and the lack of competence to review requests from foreign authorities on the recognition of criminal decisions in Albania.
Finally, the head of SPAK recalled that the issue of non-extradition of Albanian citizens arrested or located in the United Arab Emirates remains unresolved, a problem repeated in the 2023 report.
