An Appeals Court judge has been arrested by Tirana police on Thursday evening on corruption and bribery charges following a year-long investigation by the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes.

Police said that officers from the Investigation and Corruption Sector at the Directorate for Investigation of Economic and Financial Crimes at the Albanian State Police, in collaboration with the first instance of the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes, successfully finalized operation codenamed “A second murder.”

As part of the operation, police arrested Shkëlqim Miri, 46, judge of the Tirana Appeals Court after a proactive criminal proceeding on active corruption charges against judges, prosecutors and other justice system officials.

Prosecutors had raised reasonable suspicions based on evidence of favouring a man convicted of premeditated murder and illegal possession of firearms in exchange for bribes.

The Appeals Court judge has re-categorized the murder, downgrading it to a case only of inflicting severe physical injuries and the murder convict was released from prison.

The proactive investigation has produced evidence and documented a series of suspicious actions proving that judge Shkëlqim Miri has overruled the decision in favour of the convict in exchange of a considerable amount of cash.

During the search of the judge’s house, police found and sequestered an amount of 174,810 euros; 10,149,000 lek and 1,000 U.S. dollars.

ATA

13 November 2017

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