Ermal Beqiri Detained in France During a Helicopter Tour, Justice Ministry Seeks Extradition of Businessman Wanted by SPAK

The Ministry of Justice has sent the competent French authorities an official request for the extradition to Albania of businessman Ermal Beqiri, who was arrested in France during a helicopter tour and is wanted by the Albanian authorities as part of SPAK’s investigation into tenders issued by the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI).

According to the ministry, the request was prepared and submitted in accordance with Albanian legislation, international agreements and the rules governing judicial cooperation with the French Republic. The case file was accompanied by the relevant materials submitted by the prosecuting authority.

The next steps will be taken in accordance with French law and the international instruments currently in force. The Ministry of Justice said it would continue to exercise its powers throughout the process, in coordination with the competent authorities of both countries.

Ermal Beqiri is among the individuals wanted by SPAK in connection with investigations into AKSHI’s procurement and tender procedures.

MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Ministry of Justice announces that, pursuant to Albanian legislation, international agreements and judicial cooperation procedures with the French Republic, it today forwarded to the French authorities a request for the extradition of Albanian citizen E. B. The request was submitted by the prosecuting authority and is accompanied by the relevant documentation.

The procedure will continue in accordance with the legislation of the French Republic and the international instruments in force.

The Ministry of Justice will continue to fulfil the obligations and exercise the powers assigned to it by law, in cooperation with the competent Albanian and French authorities.

How the Extradition Procedure Works

The Ministry of Justice is notified by the relevant authorities when a person is located or arrested in a foreign country, as well as of the deadline that must be observed for submitting the official extradition request.

The competent prosecutor’s office submits the extradition request to the Ministry of Justice, together with the accompanying procedural documents.

The responsible directorate at the Ministry of Justice reviews the documentation and arranges for its translation into the language of the country where the person is located or into the language specified by international agreements.

Once the case file has been fully prepared, the Minister of Justice signs the request for provisional arrest, if such a measure is necessary, and/or the extradition request.

The request and the relevant documents are sent to the requested state through diplomatic channels, in accordance with international procedures.

To expedite the process, the materials may also be transmitted electronically between the competent authorities at the same time.

The extradition request is based on the request submitted by the competent prosecutor’s office, Albanian legislation, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the law on jurisdictional relations with foreign authorities and the applicable international instruments.

The deadline for submitting the formal request and documentation is determined by international conventions. The European Convention on Extradition sets out the relevant deadlines, including the 40-day period stipulated in Article 24 following arrest or provisional detention.

The Ministry of Justice ensures that the request is submitted within the legal deadlines and maintains communication with the authorities of the requested state until the extradition procedure is completed.