One year since the November 26 earthquake that killed 51 people, no one convicted by Albanian justice

In Thumana after the 26 November Earthquake

 Immediately after the earthquake of November 26, 2019, where 51 people have been killed, the prosecutors of Durrës, Kruja, and Tirana launched an investigation against more than 60 people in total, who were suspected of being responsible for the consequences.

A year later, none of them has faced justice, while only one person remains in the cell. Many of them even tried handcuffs on their wrists, but in a few weeks gained their freedom.

On November 20, the Durrës Prosecutor's Office closed the investigation and sent 16 people as defendants, including former public officials of Aluizni or the Construction Inspectorate, builders, test-takers, and owners of the destroyed buildings. They are charged with "abuse of office", "illegal construction" and "negligent homicide", less serious offenses than the suspicions raised at the beginning of the investigation. Only Ramiz Shehu, the person who built the house of the Lala family, that took the lives of 8 people, is in custody. The time of 1 year was not enough for the Kruja Prosecutor's Office to take any suspect to court.

On the verge of closing of the season, it turns out that there is an investigation for 8 people, including officials of the municipality of Kruja, suspected of "abuse of office" and "falsification of documents". They have taken over the school "Ramazan Jangozi" prematurely, when it turns out that only repairs were made to the damage of the September 2019 earthquake and not interventions that guaranteed the building.

As for the two collapsed buildings in Thumana, 22 people lost their lives, the Prosecution has no names of those responsible. In addition to collecting some documents and evidence, the prosecution is awaiting a technical construction expert report, which properly needs more than 1 year to prepare.

The Tirana Prosecutor's Office has also investigated with slow steps, which raised suspicions over 42 people, former local officials, engineers, builders, testers, and owners of buildings. So far, only one person has been sent to Court, for three others the investigation has been terminated, while for 38 people is expected to arrive the technical expertise acts on the quality of iron and concrete used in the buildings damaged by the earthquake.