On Thursday, Albania’s Parliament voted to lift the immunity of opposition leader Sali Berisha, a former Prime Minister, in light of his indictment on corruption charges. This decision was a response to prosecutors’ requests to remove Berisha’s parliamentary immunity after he failed to comply with their decision for regular reporting throughout the investigation.
Charges against Berisha were brought by the Albanian prosecutors in the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime in October. Berisha was accused of corruption and money laundering offenses. Specifically, it is alleged that he used his powers as Prime Minister to influence senior officials for the privatization of a state-owned sports complex to benefit his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi. You can find details of these charges here. Berisha has denied these accusations, characterizing them as politically driven. Along with Berisha, Malltezi was apprehended on the same charges, and Berisha was ordered not to leave the country and report to the police regularly.
Back in 2020, Berisha had been implicated by Interior Minister Taulant Balla in the privatization of sports fields and other facilities owned by the Defense Ministry in the capital Tirana, Albania. These facilities were later replaced with multi-story buildings. On another note, in 2021, the US banned Berisha and his family from entering the country, as announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter.
Amid Berisha’s scandalous charges, Albania’s political landscape has seen instability, with escalating tensions between the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition. In November, Parliament members set off smoke bombs following a disagreement on the country’s 2024 budget, claiming it to be unconstitutional. Additionally, Albania witnessed anti-government protests earlier this year, with agitators demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation over accusations of corruption and manipulation.
With his immunity lifted, Berisha now faces potential arrest. If found guilty, he would risk a prison sentence ranging between four and twelve years.