Albania Tax Chief Arrested For Murder

May 2008 Tirana _ Albania’s Tax chief is under house arrest on charges of the murder and torture of a businessman in 1995.

The head of Albania’s General Directorate of Taxes, Arben Sefgjini, who previously served as the head of Tirana’s Secret Service Office, SHIK, and three of his former colleagues Budion Mece, Avni Kolladashi and Ilir Kumbaro have been charged with the torture and murder of Macedonian-Albanian, Remzi Hoxha in 1995. The four former SHIK officers are accused of abducting Remzi Hoxha, Zizo Kristopoli and Avdyl Loshaj on October 21, 1995. P

rosecutors believe that after being placed in a SHIK safe house in the town of Lezha, in northern Albania, the three were tortured by the defendants, while Hoxha died as a result of the wounds inflected during torture. The reasons behind the abduction and torture remain unclear. The defendants have all declared their innocence through their layers during the arraignment hearings held at the High Crimes Court in Tirana.

The arrest of Sefgjini comes after Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Minister of Finance, Ridvan Bode both refused to dismiss him from his duty, despite the request filed by the prosecution office in court for his arrest.The arrest warrant from the court on Sunday means that Sefgjini is automatically suspended as head of Albania’s tax office.