The High Council of Prosecution accepted on Monday a request from the High Inspector of Justice and dismissed prosecutor Sali Hasa from his position in Saranda.

The Prosecution Council also decided to suspend 50% of his salary benefits until a final decision is reached by the court.

According to the request presented by the High Inspector of Justice to the Prosecution Council, the magistrate was found guilty by the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime for committing the criminal offense of ‘Passive Corruption of Judges, Prosecutors, and Other Justice Officials’, and ‘Failure to Declare or Non-Declaration of Assets’, and was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of imprisonment.

The criminal conviction, according to the High Inspector of Justice, constitutes “serious disciplinary violations”, and his dismissal from duty is requested.

The legal representative of prosecutor Sali Hasa, lawyer Ermir Dobjani, requested the suspension of the procedure arguing that they had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court and that the decision should be awaited.

The prosecutor of Saranda was arrested on June 19, 2021, on suspicion of involvement in bribery in the case of the dismissal of a case against Emiljano Mirani, who was accused of “assault and possession of weapons”.

The evidence gathered against the prosecutor and other individuals involved in unlawful influence and match-fixing mainly came from wiretappings, while another case of drug trafficking was being investigated by the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK).

The Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime sentenced Prosecutor Sali Hasa on May 31, 2021, to two years and four months of imprisonment and revoked his right to hold public office for three years.

Prosecutor Skënder Hasa was also dismissed from his position by the Independent Qualification Commission in September 2021, as it found issues with the asset criteria.

The Independent Qualification Commission found significant negative balances and raised suspicions regarding the donation of a land area in Porto Palermo by a person outside the family circle on behalf of the prosecutor’s children.