Albania's parliament votes to oust top prosecutor
The Associated PressPublished: November 5, 2007

PRISTINA, Serbia: Parliament voted Monday to oust Albania's top prosecutor for allegedly violating the country's constitution and failing to fight organized crime.

Lawmakers voted 77-37 to dismiss Prosecutor-General Theodhori Sollaku — a decision that must be ratified by President Bamir Topi in order to take effect.

Opposition parties had boycotted most of the impeachment process, accusing Prime Minister Sali Berisha's Democratic Party of trying to seize control of the judicial system.

In Monday's vote, lawmakers backed the findings of an investigation by a parliamentary committee. It found Sollaku had failed to cooperate international law enforcement agencies, approved the release of 22 convicted criminals without proper cause, and failed to act in serious criminal cases.

Sollaku, who was once Berisha's legal adviser, rejected the allegations and called the effort to oust him "a subversive act and an institutional coup."

Corruption and organized crime are rife in Albania, one of Europe's poorest countries. President Topi, who took office in July, is likely to back the top prosecutor's removal.