Money is cleaned by cleaners

2024-03-19 16:21:00, Opinione Lutfi Dervishi

An event that will go down in the annals of history as the "Trial of the Century", happened today in Tirana.

R. D, otherwise known as the "Queen of Corruption in Albania", with a cleaning profession, was sentenced to 7 years in prison, reduced to 4.8 years thanks to a shortened trial, after she was revealed as the "mastermind" after the theft of 462 thousand euros. The former headmistress, in whose house the disaster occurred, was sentenced to 1 year and eight months.

This decision has caused a quick and strong wave of reactions.

Legal experts and anti-corruption consultants called the ruling a "major victory" against corruption and a clear example that the culture of impunity is coming to an end.

"Finally, our judicial system has succeeded in finding out and punishing the real actors of this malignant tumor on society," said a deputy of the security committee in Parliament.

"It is quite clear that the bucket that was supposed to be filled with water to wash the floor was used to fill it with lek and euro - which shows that corruption exists, said an analyst close to the government, adding that so far we just we looked the wrong way. We must not look up, but we must lower our heads and accept, why not humbly, that the real corruption takes place below, under our noses, at our feet. So, metaphorically speaking, it's not the bear, but the mouse."

"We have started the vetting in reverse - said another commentator, who thinks that there is no hope in this country if the opposition does not change.

"The cleaners must enter the vetting and in turn all the others, the guards, the nurses, the waiters.... We have wasted a lot of time and energy with the vetting of the police, judiciary and politics. Cleaning should start from the cleaners.

"The most dangerous enemy is the one who is forgotten. It was not a matter of the system, but of the point of view" - said a police officer of the majority. "Police agents, investigators, BKH, SPAK and other prosecutors must open their eyes and see that the real financial bleeding of this country is coming from a greedy army of cleaners.

It is already clear to us that money laundering is done by cleaners. Otherwise, it would be called "money ministry", "money management", that's why it's called money laundering, because of the cleaners.

The OSCE, for its part, in a press release, welcomed the latest development and added that today's decision, although expected, has shaken the foundations of institutional corruption at the global level. It is a shocking new decision because it has shed light on the real actors of corruption and Albania is showing high leadership skills in this regard as well".

After this decision, it is expected that the ranking of Albania in the anti-corruption index will undergo an immediate ascent and leave behind a full 192 countries and territories.