Albania’s special anti-corruption court has had a busy year with the arrest of two former presidents and prime ministers, and the current mayor of the capital city of Tirana. In total, as of 2024, 61 high-ranking officials were prosecuted for corruption, with 70% going to trial, including former and current mayors and ministers, ministry secretary generals, and members of parliament.
During a conference marking SPAK’s fifth anniversary in December, its chief, Altin Dumani, emphasised the institution’s impartiality and dedication to justice.
“Our mission does not end with the next case. We are here to ensure a strong justice system where the law is upheld and is not a privilege for some and a burden for others,” he said.
But with the country’s general elections less than three months away, the opposition is in disarray and the number of politicians untouched by the hands of justice is shrinking, leading to fears over the state of democracy in the country.
What is SPAK
The Special Court against Corruption and Organised Crime, colloquially known as SPAK was set up in 2019 as an independent judicial entity responsible for investigating high-level corruption and organised crime. Comprising the National Bureau of Investigation, the Special Prosecution and the Court itself, it investigates, prosecutes, and convicts individuals in a system parallel to the regular judiciary.
Its formation and functioning are supported by the European Union and the United States as a part of ongoing justice reform that has overhauled Albanian justice at every level. The judicial vetting process alone saw 268 members dismissed, with 100 resigning preemptively- almost half of the 805-strong judicial sector.
Historical cases at SPAK
One of the first cases picked up by SPAK was the so-called incinerator Scandal, first reported by Exit.al in early October 2020.
The Albanian government was paying three concession holders €72 million since 2015 for the construction and operation of three incinerators, two of which had not yet been built, while the other was operating at half capacity. The plan was that the incinerators would burn waste for energy, creating a revenue stream while dealing with the issue of waste disposal in the country.
All three incinerators were given to the same group of people, creating virtually a monopoly. In response to a number of complaints by the Democratic Party, SPAK started investigating the deal later that month and a number of high-ranking officials, including former environment minister Lefter Koka and his former secretary general Alqi Bllako were eventually convicted on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
One of these was former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj, who is still on the run and believed to be in Switzerland. Following its investigations, SPAK prosecuted 21 individuals and 12 legal entities. Several other suspects are still on the run and have been prosecuted and convicted in absentia.
Public Perception of SPAK
Surveys conducted by Barometeri for Euronews Albania found that SPAK is the most trusted Albanian institution, with 32% of Albanians believing in its work as of May 2024. It is more trusted than the president, government, police, media, civil society, and religious institutions.
In the case of other courts in the country, citizens trusted SPAK twice as much. The level of trust it enjoys is also a big leap from November 2022 when it was just 14.2% and November 2023 when it was 16%. Some 54% said they had a positive or very positive opinion of SPAK’s work, while around 20% had a negative view.
In December 2024, EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato praised the institution’s achievements, stating, “SPAK is synonymous with success in Albania, as recognised by citizens who see it as the country’s most trusted institution. The EU accession process will continue to depend on Albania’s capacity to combat organised crime with visible investigations and asset seizures.”
As of the end of last year, SPAK had confiscated €182 million worth of assets acquired through illegal means.
The Holy Trinity of Politics
In October 2023, Albanian politics was shocked by the highest-profile arrest so far in its recent history. Sali Berisha, former president and prime minister, founder of the Democratic Party and strongman from Tropoje, one of Europe’s most rural regions, found himself being investigated by SPAK over allegations of corruption related to changes of law made while he was prime minister allowing the privatisation of a Tirana sports facility.
Prosecutors claimed the changes were made to benefit a development by his son-in-law Jamarber Malltezi, with the two receiving some EUR 5.4 million in kickbacks. After refusing to respect an order to appear measure, Berisha was placed under house arrest in December 2023.
He remained at home, delivering sermons from his balcony to party followers in the street below on an almost nightly basis, until November 2024. SPAK revoked house arrest, accepting Berisha’s lawyers argument that as the investigation was now closed, Berisha could no longer tamper with evidence. The case against Berisha, however, continues.
In a December 2024 interview for Euronews Albania, Berisha denied any wrongdoing and said that SPAK has not managed to find any evidence to support the charges against him.
In October 2024, the former president, prime minister and leader of the Freedom Party, another opposition party, was arrested by SPAK. When returning from a press conference in Kosovo, his car was stopped and he was removed from the vehicle by a group of special forces police officers.
He was arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and concealment of assets. His now ex-wife, Monika Kryemadhi is also under investigation on similar charges but was not imprisoned. Both deny any wrongdoing.
But the carousel of high-level politicians facing judgment at SPAK did not end there. At the end of 2024, it came to light that the Socialist Party Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj was also under investigation. Both he and his wife, Ajola Xoxa, appeared to testify and a number of their circle of friends and associates also faced questioning.
Then on 10 February, he was arrested from his office at the Municipality of Tirana on nine charges of corruption and money laundering. After the court ruled he must remain on prison arrest, he was transferred to Durres after supporters held vigils and protests outside the Tirana prison.
The charges related to the Tirana incinerator project and the so-called 5D scandal involving alleged irregular tenders from the state. SPAK also alleged that Veliaj’s wife had made a number of online purchases for luxury items, totalling almost EUR 900,000, allegedly proceeds of corruption.
What are the parties saying
Throughout all of the investigations, arrests, imprisonments and convictions, the parties on every side of the spectrum have been vocal.
When Berisha was arrested, he and his Democratic Party supporters condemned it as being politically motivated and its head, Dumani, of corruption and illegal enrichment. Then in February 2025, Berisha said if he won the 11 May elections, he would disband SPAK and establish a “Commission of Truth” to reveal alleged political and criminal connections.
“We will dismantle this criminal organization and restore the judiciary’s independence,” Berisha stated.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Edi Rama had staunchly supported SPAK since its inception, while also praising the EU and the US for their support. This was the case, even when members of his own party were arrested and even imprisoned following its investigations. But upon the arrest of Veliaj, widely tipped to take over from Rama in the future, his tone changed.
Rama said there was not enough evidence to arrest Veliaj and he questioned the independence of some of SPAK’s judges. His criticism led to the High Judicial Council publishing a statement condemning such comments, claiming they impact the functioning of the rule of law and democracy.
But days later, Rama’s tone softened. He said Veliaj is still a suspect but not a defendant because there is not sufficient evidence to press charges.
He also questioned whether the prosecution had the evidence to proceed to trial and whether they should have taken him from his office on the basis of suspicions only. Rama said this is not an attack on SPAK but rather pointing out the problem, which as prime minister and leader of the governing majority, he has the right to do.
Lulzim Basha, former leader of the PD, and current leader of the Euro Atlantic Democrats, attacked Rama’s comments on SPAK, stating they are “stubborn proof that Edi Rama can no longer stay in power. Albania deserves justice,” he wrote on social media.
However, the positive impact of SPAK’s actions has already been felt. In February, Transparency International published its Corruption Perception Index, and Albania moved up five places to number 80 with a score of 42 out of 100.
According to South East Europe coordinator, Lidija Prokic, the perception among business people, experts and other stakeholders is that SPAK has reduced corruption in the country during 2024.
“In our opinion, Albania’s improvement is mainly driven by the success of the justice reforms which have been implemented in the past years as well asan increase in trust in the judiciary and the ability to fight corruption,” she told Euronews Albania.
Prokic added that an increase in the number of investigations and court decisions from SPAK particularly against those in powerful positions, has helped this perception.
What about elections
Albania is set to head to the polls on 11 May. Rama will comfortably secure a fourth term as head of the executive with a Euronews Albania poll finding that 40.5% of citizens would vote for his PS. 25.9% would vote for the PD, with between 1.4% and 6.4% voting for independent parties. Around 19% were undecided or said they would not vote.
But with Berisha still battling his legal case, Meta behind bars and with single-digit confidence in independent candidates, there are slim pickings when it comes to Albania’s opposition.
Prokic said that it is a complex situation but it is up to the people to choose individuals who are not facing legal problems to represent them.
“If corrupt politicians are removed from the system, it opens up space for other individuals to come in and govern with more integrity,” she added.
The expert continued that across the Western Balkans, political parties have not paid much attention to selecting candidates based on their integrity and ability to fight corruption, and this is something citizens should recognise.
“If the judiciary can continue to do its job independently and if the ambitious objectives of the new anti-corruption strategy are implemented and achieved, I think we will be talking about a significantly better situation. We hope this will happen.”
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