Over 1,000 public officials have declared property

On March 1st, public officials' property declaration has begun. So far this legal obligation at the Corruption Prevention Agency has ended up with over a thousand officials, or about 10% of them.

From the Corruption Prevention Agency, it has revealed the categories of officials who are obliged to declare their property under this legal process.

Public officials ranging from high level, the country's president, to officials performing such duties as certificates, licenses, but also tender procedures, including ATK officials, customs officers and police officers performing investigative duties, are deregarding subjects. So not only from the high level as president, government, ministers and deputy ministers, but also a wide range of declarative subjects. From 2024, even the doctors of the secondary and tespriar system, as well as public university professors, have the obligation to declare property”, Yll Buleskaj, director of the APK, said.

According to the Agency, meeting this deadline is essential for increasing transparency and accountability in public institutions, while its disrespect could be followed by penalty measures of thousands of euros and imprisonment for up to 5 years.

For differences that are essential, over 3 thousand euros, we are obliged to send to the prosecutor. Last year we had 75 cases that, as a result of verification, were sent to the state prosecutor, where they faced criminal investigations and many of them also filed charges for which the judiciary imposes”, Buleskaj said.

According to the agency, a total of 135 fines have been imposed over the past year because of the delay in the declaration.

The deadline for regular annual declaration of property for the calendar year 2025 expires on 31 March. / RTK/