Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TIRANA1083
2007-12-28 14:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:  

ALBANIA: IMMUNITY LIFTED FOR FOREIGN MINISTER,

Tags:  PGOV PREL AL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #1083 3621433
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281433Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6502
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 001083 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA: IMMUNITY LIFTED FOR FOREIGN MINISTER,
WHO REMAINS UNCONCERNED

REF: A) TIRANA 956 B) TIRANA 870 C) 06 TIRANA 1039 D)
06 TIRANA 995

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STEPHEN A. CRISTINA, Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 001083

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA: IMMUNITY LIFTED FOR FOREIGN MINISTER,
WHO REMAINS UNCONCERNED

REF: A) TIRANA 956 B) TIRANA 870 C) 06 TIRANA 1039 D)
06 TIRANA 995

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STEPHEN A. CRISTINA, Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).


1. (U) Albania's Parliament voted December 27 to lift the
immunity of Foreign Minister/Member of Parliament Lulzim
Basha. The Prosecutor General's (PG) office (under the
recently dismissed PG) requested the action in order to
pursue an investigation of suspected irregularities affecting
the award of a contract for the Durres-Kukes road during
Basha's previous tenure as Minister of Transportation (Ref
B). That contract was awarded to the U.S. firm, Bechtel.
Basha had urged that his immunity be lifted and has stated
repeatedly and publicly that he is unconcerned with the
charges against him and willing to appear before prosecutors.
The vote was 107 for, 12 against.


2. (SBU) The vote clears the way for the Prosecutor's
office to summon the Foreign Minister for questioning,
wiretap his phone (with judicial permission),conduct
searches, etc. in support of the investigation into
allegations of legal violations in the issuance of the road
contract. If there were sufficient evidence of Basha's
involvement in wrongdoing, he could be charged and brought
before a court. The vote to lift his immunity does not
require Basha to resign as Foreign Minister. If he were
officially charged, prosecutors could, at that point, request
a court to suspend him from public office until a final
verdict is reached. (Prosecutors have continued with the
case under newly appointed PG Rama.) Most legal contacts
with whom we have spoken believe the vote lifts Basha's
immunity only for this investigation, not for an
investigation on unrelated accusations, but there is no solid
precedent.


3. (C) COMMENT: Basha has been equally unconcerned
privately as publicly about the allegations against him,
assuring the Ambassador that they were politically motivated
and he was not in danger (Ref A). Several newspapers
published a photo of a calmly smiling Basha returning to his
seat after his intervention in Parliament on December 27 to
receive a friendly handshake from PM Berisha.
CRISTINA