Exclusive / KLP rejects the re-nomination of the Director of BKH, Aida Hajnaj: The race is not open

2025-03-14 16:53:00, Politikë CNA

Exclusive / KLP rejects the re-nomination of the Director of BKH, Aida Hajnaj:

With five months left until the end of the mandate of the head of the National Bureau of Investigation, the race fever has begun, far from the eyes and attention of public opinion.

According to journalist Arsen Rusta's 'Weblajm' portal, a request for a second term has been filed in the protocol of the High Prosecutorial Council by the current head, Aida Veizaj Hajnaj.

The selection of the head of the BKH is made by the High Prosecutorial Council after the proposal of the head of SPAK and the commission with two more experienced investigators. Officially, the KLP has not made any announcement, while the media learns that the response returned to the current head is that the candidacy is not accepted, since the competition has not yet been opened and the candidacy must go through the commission established in SPAK.

Exclusive / KLP rejects the re-nomination of the Director of BKH, Aida Hajnaj:

This is the decision appointing the current leader to her position. With no. 183, dated 30.07.2020, for the first time, Hajnaj was elected to this position with a 5-year mandate.

This mandate ends on August 31, 2025, while SPAK has not yet opened the competition for the continuation of Hajnaj's mandate or the election of a new leader.

What is the BKH and how is the Director elected?
The BKH (National Bureau of Investigation) is an independent investigative institution in Albania, similar to the FBI in the US. It operates as part of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) and is tasked with investigating cases of high-level corruption and organized crime.

LAW
No. 95/2016
ON THE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONING OF INSTITUTIONS TO
FIGHT CORRUPTION AND ORGANIZED CRIME
(Amended by Law 47/2021)

Article 33 – Director of the National Bureau of Investigation
1. The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation is responsible for the functioning of the National Bureau of Investigation.

2. The Commission, composed of the Head of the Special Prosecution Office and two special prosecutors with more years of work experience as prosecutors, after an open and transparent recruitment process, recommends a candidate for Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, who is appointed by the High Prosecutorial Council. The Director is appointed for a 5-year term, with the right to reappointment only once.

3. Candidates for Director of the National Bureau of Investigation must meet the security requirements of Article 6 of this law. A candidate may not be appointed to the position of Director of the National Bureau of Investigation without meeting the security requirements and professional skills requirements.

4. The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, after the end of his/her mandate, has the right to return to his/her previous position or to be appointed to a position of the same level, with a rank corresponding to that function.

5. The Director is supervised by a commission composed of three prosecutors of the Special Prosecution Office, one of whom is its head, while the other two are selected each year by lottery.

6. The Director, with the consent of the Head of the Special Prosecution Office, shall select a Deputy Director from among the investigators. The Deputy Director shall act on behalf of the Director in his absence.

7. The Director shall appoint investigators to head sectors within the National Bureau of Investigation, in accordance with the joint order issued pursuant to Article 31, paragraph 2, of this law.

Currently, the BKH is headed by Hajnaj and Deputy Director Jon Keta. After an open competition by SPAK in July 2024, seven investigators applied for the position of Deputy Director: Maksim Begaj, Mentor Cuku, Jon Keta, Armando Salla, Alban Kalaja, Julian Marko and Erjon Tema, and Jon Keta was elected Deputy Director.

While this is the second time that a BKH leadership mandate will be contested, it turns out that the High Prosecutorial Council has not yet approved a regulation for the opening of the competition and the deadline for when it will open./Weblajm