Operation Force of Law Nears Expiration

The Force of Law operation is coming to an end. OFL officially expires on December 31st, the day when it is foreseen the end of sending the forms for the declaration of assets to persons involved in criminal activities.

Through this conclusion, the work for the investigation of the assets of convicted persons inside and outside Albania by the Police ends, but this does not mean the closure of investigations in the Prosecution and the Special Court for the submitted forms.

On December 16, Operation Force of Law sent the last forms, while in total the form for the declaration of assets was received by 589 convicted persons, or people with criminal pasts.

Due to the pandemic, OFL was forced to suspend work for several months, while this prompted the Ministry of Interior to request another normative act to extend the term of employment.

If the government imposes a new normative act to extend the OFL term, there will be no new persons to whom the forms will be sent.

SPAK until November 5, 2020 has received 192 requests for property investigation, as most of them have justified the property within 48 hours, as provided by law. SPAK also earlier requested that OFL forms be treated in the District Prosecutor's Offices, because the special prosecution body can not cope with their influx.

According to the law, the seized assets are expected to be turned into social facilities such as kindergartens, schools or police districts. The first object seized by OFL was the Golden Resort of in Shijak, which is currently under the administration of the seized assets agency.

Although OFL has targeted subjects with criminal pasts, many of them have passed the property test at the SPAK or at the doors of the courts.