TIRANA, Jan. 10 – Police have conducted a large scale operation across the country looking for people wanted on a series of crimes.
Heavy police presence was seen in Tirana’s streets, stopping and checking cars, as well as on national highways during the operation, which has already netted about two dozen people who now face charges and further questioning.
Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri called on Albanians and the political opposition to support the police in its fight against crime. He said that crime had no political colors.
Political opposition representatives accused the government of putting up a show.
Crime numbers and the work of police has become a major political debate issue, with each side either praising or denying successes of police against crime.
In another incident with political implications, opposition Democrats denounced on Monday what they considered to be violation of the laws by police when not registering a crime against a journalist in the southern city of Gjirokastra. The man working the Democrats’ party newspaper was allegedly physically attacked in Gjirokastra’s downtown Monday, close to the police station. Then, according to the Democrats’ statement, police delayed to take his statement in the case.
The interior ministry immediately responded saying that was not true, and offered a signed document from the journalist that the police had taken his statement.
Political fight focusing on police continued with the opposition accusing a top police officer of being sentenced in a crime, before taking on the top post.
The ministry again responded offering the documentation that such an accusation was not true.
