Blockada to Sali Berisha, warning to those involved in corruption

Ramiz Ladrovci, chairman of the Drenas municipality, is now part of the list of persons being denied entry into the United States territory.

Ladrovci said it didn't penalise him during his job and career, but added that he doesn't feel good about why he's on that list.

The American administration's decision, personally, has not penalised me at all, because I have extremely good reports with the United States. Of course, I don't feel good about being on that list”, Ladrovci said.

Along with it are about 40 other Albanians from Kosovo, Albania or Northern Macedonia. Some of them, who have been former Kosovo Liberation Army members, have held or held high positions in Kosovo, as deputies or ministers in Kosovo governments. Some of them are: Azem Syla, Daut Haradinaj, Emrush Xhemaj, Fatmir Limaj, Rrustem Mustafa and Sami Lushtaku.

For other reasons, this American list has regained attention, following the US State Department's decision to ban US entry, former Albanian President Sali Berisha.

In the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Berisha, in his official quality -- in particular as Albania's prime minister -- has been involved in corrupt actions, such as misuse of public funds and interference in public processes. According to the UN, the former Albanian prime minister has used his power for the benefits and to enrich his political allies and members of his family.

As a result, U.S. entrance has also been banned from his mate and two children.

Berisha for indictment: Public explanation

Berisha has said on May 20th that the charges brought against him are “, publicly slandering”, and that his lawyer is preparing charges against Secretary Blinken.

There's no one in Albania or in the world who can say that I'm involved in any corrupt relationship, so I've instructed my lawyer in a neutral place, and respected as France, to file Antony Blinken with a direct public slander indictment”, he said.

Tanja Domi, professor at Columbia University and Balkan expert, has said Secretary Blinken has mentioned that corruption is one of the key issues for American foreign policy and he has made it known even in the first letter sent to senior officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina that this state should fight corruption.

“The action towards Berisha should serve as a warning from the Beden administration that it will use different mechanisms carefully, and I see all of this as a sign that they will address corruption issues in general”, Domi has said.

Even Florent Spahija, a legal expert at the Kosovo Democratic Institute, has said that this decision shows that the United States deals very seriously with the fight against corruption, but also with assistance for Balkan countries, to emerge as quickly as corruption prevails.

This shows that politicians must fight and take corruption seriously and not get involved in corruption, but be at war against corruption. The United States is very serious and invest millions of projects in Balkan countries. There are endless projects for these countries, aimed at democratising these countries and fighting corruption”, Spahija has said.

Asked why this administration has now made this decision, Spahija cited elections held on 25 April of this year in Albania.

This election process passed relatively well in Albania, even though there were accusations and counteraccuss for purchasing and manipulation of votes, however, this remains to be seen. But I also consider that the pressure of the opposition there and the old policy is somewhat holding development back, so American foreign policy” has reacted, he added.

Professor Domi has said that claims about Berisha have existed for so long.

“One of Albania's blocking points towards membership in the European Union is believed to be the issue of corruption, rule of law, judges who cannot until the end of the prosecution. It's an early sign that the American administration is serious about this”, Dom stated.

Such decisions boost the attention of ruling officials

On June 3rd, the White House has issued a memorandum of US President Joe Biden, with the emphasis that fighting corruption will be one of the essential interests of US national security.

“Corruption threatens the national security of the United States, economic equality, global efforts against poverty and the development of democracy itself. But, effectively preventing and fighting corruption and demonstrating the priorities of transparent and responsible governance, we can ensure a critical advantage for the United States and other democracies”, President Biden has said.

Among other things, Biden has said his administration will promote good governance, offer transparency in the United States and for global financial systems, prevent and fight corruption within and abroad, and make it very difficult for corrupt people to expand their activity.

In the International Organisation Transparency International's report, the Corruption Perception Index for 2020, Kosovo this year is ranked 104th with 36 points, marking deterioration in fighting corruption, since it has dropped for three positions below last year.

Albania, though sharing the same number of scores and rankings with Kosovo, has noted progress in this direction, rising for two positions higher than last year.

As for other countries in the region, northern Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina share position 111, Serbia is 94th, Montenegro 67th, and Croatia 63rd.

Spahija has said that such decisions, like that of the US State Department for Berisha, will make politicians in power more attentive to these cases.

The United States is showing that they are not reluctant to publicly discredit someone who is corrupt or suspected of corruption. And if the state does not act in pursuit of corruption or their conviction, then this will be done publicly by American embassies or American foreign policy”, Spahija has said.

Domi believes that from her experience in the Balkans, corruption in this region isalistic.

The rule of law presents a difficult challenge for most governments there because they have been involved in corrupt activities. I'm not an expert on fighting corruption, but when you block someone's assets and if they're tried and sentenced to prison, that's another confession. However, the United States does not have the authorities to do something like that”.

Spahija believes that except for politicians, the decision on Berisha is also a message to courts and prosecutors in Albania, demanding that more work be worked in this direction.

The United States cannot fight corruption on its own in Kosovo, Albania, or anywhere in the Balkans. American authorities promote the fight against corruption and constantly work to increase the level of fighting corruption. If we think America should do our jobs, we're wrong. We need ourselves, as citizens of the country, both prosecutors and judges and policemen, anyone with authority to conduct investigations and send corrupt people to prison, we must carry it out by ourselves”.

Can anyone get off this list?

The U.S. Treasury Department's page notes that the Office for Foreign Asset Control, in addition to the introduction of persons to the so-called Blocker's List, aims not to punish these people, but to promote positive change.

Further on the page of this department, the Office for Foreign Asset Control reportedly removes hundreds of individuals and subjects from the list each year.

Each exit is based on a false analysis of the Office for Foreign Asset Control. Maintaining the integrity of American sanctions is a top priority for this office and a principle behind the revision that analyses any requests for removal from the lists and applies the same standards for each of them”.

What request should be made for removal from the list?

Drenas Mayor Ramiz Ladrovci has indicated that he has tried several times to get his name off the blacklist.

I wrote the U.S. office several times then, but they're state procedures. I don't comment on United States decisions”, he said among other things.

To get away from the list, the U.S. Treasury Department needs to launch a simple request, with personal data from the person involved in the list, the category where it's involved, and a detailed description of why that person should leave the list.

To make this request, the Office for Foreign Asset Control says no lawyer should be involved.

Efficient imprisonment for those involved in corruption

For 13 years, since Kosovo's declaration of independence, prosecutors have filed 298 charges against 216 politicians -- the majority for criminal acts of corruption.

Out of the total of 298 charges filed, 109 have been filed against central-level officials, while 189 have been raised against officials or former local-level officials.

In this group of politicians, there are 55 cases in which high profile state officials have been charged, but none of them have been sentenced to effective prison sentences with bias of form. / REL/