The head of Albania's State Intelligence Service, Vlora Hyseni, voluntarily appeared before law enforcement on Tuesday, after which the court placed her under house arrest. Earlier that same day, the Special Prosecution Office for the Fight Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) issued an arrest warrant for her, announced her suspension from office, and stated that Hyseni is suspected of disclosing confidential information. According to the police, on Tuesday evening she arrived independently at the Morina border crossing between Albania and Kosovo, where she surrendered to the authorities. Albanian media had previously reported that the intelligence chief was outside the country. The investigation is related to the activities of the National Agency for the Information Society (AKSHI), which is responsible for digital government services and IT infrastructure in Albania. According to the prosecution, Hyseni may have transmitted confidential information to third parties connected to this criminal case. The investigation itself has been ongoing for a long time. Several government officials and entrepreneurs are under investigation or have been detained as part of it. Additionally, the head of one of the divisions of the Scientific Institute of Police has been detained. This case has become another corruption scandal affecting Albania's government structures. It unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing protests against Prime Minister Edi Rama's government, triggered in part by a controversial project to build a resort in the south of the country. Prime Minister Edi Rama, commenting on the situation, emphasized that the investigation must proceed independently. "Everyone is presumed innocent until a final court decision is made; however, no one is above the law under any circumstances," he wrote on the social network X. Following the court's decision, Albanian President Bajram Begaj signed a decree relieving Hyseni of her duties. Her suspension took effect immediately. Vlora Hyseni has headed the State Intelligence Service since 2023. Her appointment sparked discussions as she was previously a citizen of Kosovo and had served as the deputy head of that country's intelligence service. As part of the same investigation, former head of the State Police, Ilir Proda, was summoned to the prosecutor's office on Tuesday. Additionally, an investigation is underway regarding Ermal Bekiraj, who was detained in France at the end of August, as well as entrepreneur Ergis Agasi, who was arrested on August 26.
