Press Release

Prosecution Office estimates that the Scientific Police, the specialized structure for conducting expertise for the criminal investigations, has an urgent need to strengthen the human and technological capacities.

Lack of these capacities, currently is causing significant delays in important investigations of Albanian Prosecution Office, where, among others are also the investigation for those considered as "taxes server “and "eavesdropping device in the Ministry of Defence".

This has been the position held by the General Prosecution Office, presented by the Director of Investigation of Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption, Mr. Kosta Beluri, at the meeting "Strengthening the capacity of Police Science", organized by the OSCE Presence in Tirana, on Tuesday, dt. 02.03.2015.

In fact, the Prosecution Office of Albania, evaluates the current staff of the Scientific Police, but ascertain that it is very necessary to increase the number of employees of this structure, as well as to improve the technological equipment to enhance its performance and, above all, to serve best to the criminal investigation in Albania.

Below is the speech of the representative of the General Prosecution Office in this activity:
I would like to thank you for the invitation and for the opportunity to discuss on strengthening the capacity of the Scientific Police.
This structure has a fundamental importance in daily activity of the Prosecution Office and is an important contribution to a successful investigation, if we consider the value of the evidence that an act have - quality expertise.

Prosecution Office has significantly increased investigative activity, which necessitates conducting various experiments as soon as possible.
We have an intensive communication with the Scientific Police for conducting a high number of expertises and we have come to know that this structure has an immediate need to strengthen human capacity and also in technical and technological terms. Due to incomplete human and technological capacity that has the Scientific Police currently, a high number of investigations continue for a long time and, in some cases, the procedural deadlines are exceeded, which entails the termination of criminal proceedings.

Also, given to the purpose of this meeting, among other things it is discussed the possibility of creating donations for this structure, and we assess that it is very necessary to create training spaces related to expertise that are related to cyber crimes and also to create the device with the relevant infrastructure in this field. Also, we consider necessary the updating of technical equipment for different types of expertise as chemical, fingerprint records, graphics etc, for which currently it is used a system that is put into service 15 years ago.

Albania is already a technological society and networks have become more vulnerable to crime.
To concretize the importance of expertise in this field, we can briefly present some investigative cases, effective in public, which are blocked due to lack of technology for special examinations.
Prosecution Office of Tirana is conducting an investigation of what is considered "taxes server", where there are doubts that there have been unlawful interfering in the tax’s data. The investigation of this case is blocked, because due to the lack of technology and capacity, the Scientific Police initially failed to conclude on whether or not there was interference. In addition, the prosecution is expecting some other responses about the case, which for several months have not arrived.

Also, another case with the similar specifications is the investigation of what is considered the eavesdropping device in the Ministry of Defence. Even in this case, the Scientific Police has not managed to conclude whether there has been or not illegal eavesdropping by the structures of this ministry. Again, the argument has been the same; lack of technological equipment for processing information relevant to the investigation.

I mentioned these cases to understand the importance and necessity to increase the capacity of the Scientific Police in Albania. In fact, it must be recognized that the commitment of the current staff of this structure is at the maximum. But, it is very necessary to assist this group of experts, who subsequently will be even more valuable for the criminal investigation in Albania.

Date 03.02.2015