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ONM recommends a complaint to the College for prosecutor Afrim Shehu

2024-10-02 09:26:00, Aktualitet Edmond Hoxhaj

The International Monitoring Operation, ONM, recommended on Monday, September 30, to the Public Commissioners to file an appeal against the decision of the Independent Qualification Commission, KPK, for the confirmation in office of the prosecutor of Tirana, Afrim Shehu. According to ONM, the decision of the Commission is unclear and should be checked in the College.

Prosecutor Afrim Shehu was confirmed in office on May 15. During the hearing at the KPK, he faced questions about a negative balance, ascertained before and after the start of the task. The entity also provided explanations for some of the complaints filed by citizens. However, the Commission found Shehu's explanations convincing and left him in office. The vetting process for Shehu was carried out by the KPK body headed by Xhensila Pine, with rapporteur Alma Faskajn and member Pamela Qirko.

Afrim Shehu worked as an officer of the Judicial Police and as a lawyer before being appointed prosecutor of the Republic of Albania in 2009. For almost a decade he worked as a prosecutor at the Durrës Prosecutor's Office, while in June 2023 he was transferred to the Tirana Prosecutor's Office through the parallel motion procedure.

ONM appreciates that some of the issues dealt with in the vetting of the prosecutor Afrim Shehu were not evaluated properly, making the decision of the Commission unclear, as it seems that it is not based on the administered evidence.

According to ONM, the decision for Shehu deviates from the standards that are usually maintained by the Independent Qualification Commission itself, in the current practice of this institution, as well as contrary to the principles and guidelines established by the Special Appeal Board, KPA.

International observers estimate that Shehu failed to overturn the burden of proof regarding some essential findings that resulted from the administrative investigation. Meanwhile, it is evident that the subject's objections to the findings were mainly based on explanations not based on evidence.

"Despite this, the Commission accepted most of his explanations, drastically reduced the minus that resulted from the investigation and decided to confirm the subject of the reassessment in office", say the international observers.

The recommendation presents the analysis of some assets, for which inconsistent declarations, changes in the sources of creation of previously declared assets, as well as negative financial results different from those concluded by the Commission are found. According to ONM, from the financial analysis of the years 2014-2016, a negative balance in the amount of ALL 7.3 million results.

Also, professional issues are addressed, for which ONM notes that there are important indicators that suggest that the subject's behavior contradicts the basic values ??that a magistrate should have.

In conclusion, ONM appreciates that the proper evaluation of the facts may lead to the dismissal of prosecutor Afrim Shehu.