The Albanian capital of Tirana was rocked by widespread protests on Monday after its Deputy Prime Minister, Belinda Balluku, was charged with corruption.
Protestors, demanding the government to step down, hurled petrol bombs at the government building that houses Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office as tensions flared although reports have emerged that the police, in riot gear, tried to protect the government buildings but did not push back the protesters.
“We have had enough because it’s a matter of tens and hundreds of millions of euros stolen, and she isn’t resigning. This is disgraceful,” said one of the protestors to reporters.
Albanians have taken to the streets across the country in recent weeks after prosecutors alleged that Balluku violated the law in public tenders, accusing her of embezzling state funds and favouring government officials and private companies by allotting tenders to favoured companies in major infrastructure projects.
Balluku has termed the accusations “misleading insinuations” and “half-truths filled with lies”, and vowed to cooperate with the investigating agencies and the judiciary.
Meanwhile, the Special Prosecution Office, which is responsible for tackling corruption and organised crime in the country, has urged the country’s Parliament to lift the Deputy PM’s immunity and let her face the trial and consequent arrest.
While the country’s law and order situation has been marred by protests, Prime Minister Rama’s ruling party is expected to vote on a priority basis and allow the law enforcement agencies to prosecute the Deputy PM.
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