{"id":17064,"date":"2021-07-08T17:53:55","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T15:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?p=17064"},"modified":"2021-07-08T18:10:25","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T16:10:25","slug":"four-interior-ministers-and-three-police-chiefs-sacked-over-the-last-8-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/four-interior-ministers-and-three-police-chiefs-sacked-over-the-last-8-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Interior Ministers and three Police Chiefs sacked over the last 8 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

The only one to have resisted several reshuffles, including four different interior ministers, is the Chief of the Albanian State Police, Ardi Veliu.<\/p>\n

Although his dismissal has been called several times, Veliu continues to serve as chief of police for about four years.<\/p>\n

When it comes to internal shuffles, the Interior Ministry has seen the most dynamic during the two terms of the Rama government.<\/p>\n

In eight years, the institution saw four different ministers, and as a result three different chief of police.<\/p>\n

Saimir Tahiri stayed in office for the longest time, more than 4 years, and cooperated with the general chief of police Artan Didi, later replaced with Haki \u00c7ako.<\/p>\n

Didi, a name that was contested by the opposition over claims that he was a commissioner of the Socialist Party, resigned only 2 years after taking office.<\/p>\n

Haki \u00c7ako served as Chief of Police for 3 years, including during Albania\u2019s largest cannabis growth in 2016, and left as soon as Fatmir Xhafaj became interior minister.<\/p>\n

Xhafaj set forth the name of Ardi Veliu as general chief of police, with the latter taking over office in February 2018, amid claims from the opposition that he was not fit for the important post.<\/p>\n

Fatmir Xhafaj stepped down after accusations coming from the opposition that his brother had been charged for drug trafficking. He was soon replaced by Sander Lleshaj, whose appointment was only finalized after a bitter battle with president Ilir Meta.<\/p>\n

Lleshaj continued to work with Ardi Veliu despite unofficial reports of strained relations between the two.<\/p>\n

At least two times, protesters have demanded from Ardi Veliu to step down, but Prime Minister Edi Rama has publicly come to his defense.<\/p>\n

Initially, PM Rama came to his side after he bullied the mother of a minor that was hit by the police, the whole incident caught on tape, and secondly following a massive wave of protests after the murder of Klodian Rasha, an unarmed 25-year old shot dead by a police officer.<\/p>\n

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