Albanian mayor and Macedonian officials sentenced in anti‑corruption cases

Kristjan Shkreli, the mayor of Vaut i Dejës in Albania, testified before a court that he did not buy votes or promise material benefits, saying “Nuk kam ofruar dhe premtuar asgjë në këmbim të votës.” He faces charges brought by the State Audit and Anti‑Corruption Bureau (SPAK) over alleged election‑related corruption.

In neighboring North Macedonia, a court upheld convictions of six current and former officials of the Divjakë municipality for tender violations amounting to about €1 million. The Public Procurement Service (GJKKO) found the officials had breached equal participation rules in public tenders. Sentences were reduced to community service or probation, and the convicted were barred from public office for five years and ordered to jointly cover procedural costs.

Both cases illustrate intensified anti‑corruption enforcement against local officials in the Balkans.