Minister of Internal Affairs, Albana Koçiu, has confirmed the news that she has dismissed her deputy, Andi Mahila.
Koçiu himself confirmed the news through a public statement, where he also explains the reasons for this decision.
Koçiu says that a citizen has denounced the deputy minister for smoking a cigarette inside a restaurant.
"I confirm what has been reported in the press regarding the dismissal of the Deputy Minister. I received a complaint from a compatriot of ours in New York, who, together with his family, had experienced concern over the fact that the Deputy Minister of the Interior was smoking cigarettes in a restaurant. I made the appropriate verification and communicated the dismissal to the Deputy Minister.
Anyone can make an unintentional mistake and it can be understandable, but smoking a cigarette inside a bar is not an unintentional mistake, but an unjustifiable violation of the law. Even more so for a leader of an institution like the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
For my part, I have informed the fellow countryman who sent the message that his legitimate concern did not fall on deaf ears.
"I assure all citizens who will denounce any violation that they will be heard with the same respect. Not just with words but with the principled stances that they rightly expect from us," Koçiu writes.
