Former Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha has been placed under house arrest following an investigation into a corruption case relating to his time in office, the news agency Reuters reported. The order by a court on Saturday comes amid Berisha, 79, refusing to appear before the judiciary police in connection with the investigation.
Albanian prosecutors have accused Berisha of using his influence while premier between 2005 and 2009 to favour his son-in-law Jamarber Malltezi in the privatization of state land.
Berisha now heads the opposition Democratic Party. Following the court’s decision, Berisha’s lawyer Genc Gjokutaj said, “The court has accepted the prosecution’s request by changing a previous measure and has now ordered house arrest (for Berisha) without the possibility of leaving the country.”
Gjokutaj added that the former prime minister would appeal the verdict. In October, the Special Court Against Corruption and Organised Crime indicted Berisha, suspecting him of “passive corruption of senior official.”
Berisha’s legal immunity revoked
Two days before the house arrest, lawmakers revoked the 79-year-old’s legal immunity, a report by the news agency AFP said. His son-in-law Malltezi was arrested in October and placed under house arrest for suspected corruption and money laundering.
Malltezi has been suspected of taking advantage of his father-in-law’s position to acquire a sports complex in Tirana that was owned by the defence ministry, which was turned into apartments.
Former PM denies accusation
Berisha has denied accusations of corruption levelled against him by prosecutors. He has accused current Prime Minister Edi Rama of carrying out a political attack to silence the opposition.
Soon after the house arrest was ordered, he said in a Facebook Post, “With or without house arrest, with or without police at the door, nothing will be able to separate me from you.”
“With the motto ‘now or never’ I invite you to continue the battle without return, even stronger and more determined,” he added.