Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has strongly denied accusations that the ruling Socialist Party has changed its stance towards the justice system in relation to the so-called “Balluku” case.
Speaking at a press conference, Rama said the government and parliamentary majority were not acting as a “defence office” for anyone and insisted the issue was being handled strictly through institutional channels.
He argued that parliament and its Mandates Council are not obliged to automatically approve requests from prosecutors, but are constitutionally required to examine the material submitted and take an independent decision.
Rama questioned the evidential value of a 16,000-page file submitted by Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK), saying it consisted largely of administrative documents rather than investigative evidence.
“These are not the product of an investigation,” he said, adding that the documents included contracts, studies and ministry archives. He also stressed that neither Socialist Party MPs nor the minister concerned had accessed the USB device submitted by prosecutors.
The prime minister rejected claims that the majority was interfering with justice, stating that the case entered the legislative sphere only after what he described as an unprecedented request to suspend a minister.
Beyond the specific case, Rama raised broader concerns about Albania’s justice system, particularly the high number of people held in pre-trial detention.
Citing official figures, he said Albania has 4,492 inmates, of whom only 1,985 have been convicted, arguing that the country ranks among the worst in the Council of Europe for detaining people without a final court ruling.
Mr Rama said the government would maintain a “correct and institutional” approach, while calling for greater scrutiny of how the justice system functions overall.