Former head of the Serious Crimes Unit, Eugen Beçi, has spoken out about Prime Minister Edi Rama's public statement on the BKH. Beçi said that he sees Rama's reaction more as an attention-grabbing move.
According to him, there is no problem only if a climate is created where police officers are told that in order to take evidence they must get permission from Rama. He added that if it is not a distraction, he sees it as a warning not to go to his building and take everything.
"The Criminal Procedure Code and the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania have precisely sanctioned the manner in which action is taken when a judicial police officer or investigative body is obstructed in the exercise of his duty while carrying out his procedural action.
"This doesn't bother me, it bothers me. If it turns out that I have surrounded him with the Guard of the Republic and the only authority that the Constitution recognizes, which is the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Albania, and further the court as a procedural body, are hindered by the activities of the Guard of the Republic or private guards, this could lead to damage to all investigative processes," Beçi said on the "Now" show on Euronews Albania.
Beçi said that, according to him, Prime Minister Rama's statement towards the BKH hides a clear message not to approach him.
"At a minimum, when you leave a firearm unattended or when it's in a safe, you have to take the key with you, but you also have to get the ballistics data of the firearm. I'm not saying that a crime has been committed, but for an event that happens, you have to have security for the firearm. You can't just leave it there."
This raises concerns about how the Criminal Procedure Code will be applied to the prime minister. Referring to this code, the BKH should go to the office and not wait to get permission. There is no problem, it is just a call for attention with the word 'patllake'. But such a climate is being created: 'when you get evidence, you will get permission from me'. Then this is no longer an investigation. I cannot get permission.
"In case this is not simply a desire to criticize BKH, I see it as a warning not to come to my building to get something ," said Beçi.