June 10, 2025
The Head of the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), Mr. Altin Dumani, in exercising the powers of the Public Commissioner, authorized Mr. Klodjan Braho, serving as Prosecutor at the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (also Chair of the Anti-Corruption Section), to represent him before the Appeal Chamber during the judicial review of the appeal against Decision No. 600/2022, of the Independent Qualification Commission, concerning the assessee Mr. Robert Kote , serving as a prosecutor at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Tirana.
During the verification of attendance, the presiding judge informed the parties of the aforementioned authorization issued by the Chair of the Special Prosecution Office, and, upon receiving the assessee’s consent, continued the hearing by presenting the appeal grounds.
The Chair of the Anti-Corruption Section at the Special Prosecution Office, Mr. Klodjan Braho, while upholding the appeal grounds, stated that, with regard to the asset assessment criterion, the assessee had failed to prove the contrary, as required by the burden of proof. As for the cases referred by the Directorate of Classified Information Security (DSIK) and public denunciations, which concern to the proficiency and background assessment criteria, Mr. Braho considered that these issues should be assessed during a thorough investigation of the case. In conclusion, Mr. Braho requested that the adjudicating panel amend Decision no. 600/2022, of the Independent Qualification Commission, and dismiss the assessee, Mr. Robert Kote, from office.
The assessee opposed the grounds of the appeal and claimed to have made a correct and sufficient declaration of assets, and that no misconduct had occurred during the investigation of the cases referred by DSIK or in the public denunciations. The assessee submitted additional evidence to the Chamber and requested its admission.
The representative of the Special Prosecution Office expressed formal agreement with the admission of the additional acts, but stated that the final decision of the Court of Appeals for one of the cases investigated by the assessee was not included among the submitted documents.
The assessee asserted that he had reviewed the dispositive section of the decision but had not included it in the case file submitted to the Chamber.
Following deliberations in chambers, the adjudicating panel decided to open the judicial investigation and admit, as evidence, the documents submitted by the assessee, while instructing him to complete the file by providing the summary decision of the Court of Appeals.
Pending submission of this document, the adjudicating panel announced that the following hearing will be held on June 18, 2025, at 10:00, and that the parties should also prepare to present their final arguments.
The appeal and elements of the case are published on the official SPAK website, in the “Re-evaluation Process” section: https://spak.gov.al/
The Head of the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime, in accordance with Article 179/b, paragraph 8 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, has been exercising the powers of the Public Commissioners as of 1 January 2025.
