Albania launches investigation into illegal construction, abuse of office

The National Security Council meeting was held at the presidency institution, and leaders of the country's main institutions participated.

Through a social networking post, President Meta suggested that a closer interaction and co-ordination among all institutions was discussed at the National Security Council meeting to the restoration of complete normality.

“E supported the prosecution to advance investigations and bring to criminal responsibility all those who would result in responsibility. To secure domestic resources and the necessary international support for overcoming the dire consequences of this terrible” earthquake, the president writes.

Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, has also called on the builders of damaged buildings to step forward and pay for the sanim or construction of damaged buildings so that they can avoid prison.

I have to file an appeal for all those who have built collective buildings and who entered today's damaged, not dangerous, but damaged buildings, to appear themselves urgently in the relevant office of the managing officers, or at the emergency staff office in Durres, and to make a statement of readiness to pay one for one building itself. All repairs, from surface to material damage done to people because of the injuries, of course, not to all others. I make this appeal because it will soon be too late for them. Who would avoid this obligation would be directly charged in front of the justice organs”, Prime Minister Rama said.

He announced that at the end of the week, representatives of the building's expert groups will present to the public concrete information and cases and “for various construction types, to explain what should be taken and what concern to”.

On the other hand, it becomes known that the Durres and Tirana Prosecution have registered Monday's morning criminal case, which refers to the November 26th earthquake.

Both prosecutors are investigating whether the consequences have come as a result of illegal construction and failure to perform duty by implementing engineers and responsible persons, as well as regular failure to fulfill office by state officials in charge of overseeing these constructions.

The issue has been raised for criminal acts “build without permission” and “Subtitles:

Groups of foreign experts called by the government are continuing to come to help in the process of technical assessment of the buildings, while risk-making buildings have begun to collapse deliberately by authorities.

So far, it turns out there are close to nine thousand citizens affected by the earthquake. More than 2300 are housed in hotels with which the government has agreed, while more than 4400 others have been sheltered near their relatives. Over 900 residents are still in tents erected in various locations, while more than 800 are staying in social centres.

The 6.3 magnitude quake that struck Albania on Tuesday morning left 51 people dead and thousands injured.

Kosovo doesn't know how many people have come from Albania

After the earthquake, which struck Albania on November 26th, the number of people coming from this country is still not known precisely and have entered Kosovo's territory.

The 6.3-magnitude quake, which has hit Albania on November 26th, has been the most powerful to have hit this country in recent decades and has subsequently left 51 people dead, hundreds of injured people and thousands of homeless persons as a result of the collapses, serious damage and risklessness posed by their settlements.

Immediately after the earthquake, different organisations in Kosovo started, initially under way initiatives to help residents of earthquake-affected areas in Albania, and at the same time brought a certain number of residents of this country to Kosovo to take refuge in different cities in the country.

The only clues that have been identified, according to competent authorities, are in Prizren's municipality. Nehat Kocinaj, a public relations official from the Emergency Management Agency, which operates within the Interior Ministry, tells Radio Free Europe that over 1800 people have been accommodated in this municipality. He says most have found shelter in private homes, over 420 at the Kosovar-German Inovative Camp and 120 at the “John Buzuku” high school in Prizren.

He has said that during this weekend a number of Albanian citizens have returned to their country.

Kosovo's incumbent Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has also called on all citizens, civil society, but political subjects to take care of the people coming from Albania who have entered Kosovo's territory after the November 26th earthquake.

The “Every citizen of Albania, who enters Kosovo territory, will not remain homeless, but a shift without the criteria of people coming from areas that are not affected by the earthquake is in order. Someone's cheating people, filling up buses, bringing them in difficult conditions... it's winter, it's not right. Misuse of this situation is not right, caution must be made”, Haradinaj said.

Haradinaj later called on citizens from earthquake-free areas in Albania not to come to Kosovo. He said it's about that category of citizens who claim that if they settle in the Kosovaro German Inovative Training Camp in Prizren, they could be sent to the state of Germany. That, according to him, is not true. Haradinaj gave no more details on these claims.

Many countries came to the aid of affected families, sending relief supplies and raising funds for the reconstruction of homes of the displaced.

On Sunday, in the city of Durres, which is most affected by earthquakes, there began the deliberate collapses of buildings considered dangerous. It becomes known that 40 is the total number of those who pose danger and collapse.

Albania's government has called for the support of the European Union and various states with experts on the assessment of damages. Prime Minister Edi Rama raised the issue and at a meeting with ambassadors of various states and representatives of international organisations in Tirana. / REL