Albania’s intelligence chief, Vlora Hiseni, has been suspended and placed under house arrest as part of a broader corruption investigation, Albanian prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Hiseni, who has headed Albania’s State Intelligence Service (SHISH) since 2023, is suspected of unlawfully disclosing confidential information related to an investigation into alleged corruption at the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), the agency responsible for Albania’s digital public services and IT infrastructure.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK), which investigates corruption and organized crime, has been conducting a long-running investigation into alleged abuses involving public funds at AKSHI. Several public officials and businesspeople have been arrested or investigated in connection with the case.
According to SPAK, Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime approved the measures against Hiseni to allow the investigation to continue.
Hiseni, who is originally from Kosovo, previously served as deputy head of Kosovo’s intelligence service before becoming head of SHISH. She was not immediately available for comment.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said he had already dismissed Hiseni from her position and would consult with the president on appointing a new head of the intelligence service.
“Everyone is innocent until a final court decision, but no one is above the law,” Rama wrote on X.
The case represents another challenge for Rama’s government as Albania continues its efforts to advance toward European Union membership.
In February, Rama dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku after prosecutors indicted her on corruption-related charges. Parliament subsequently rejected a request to lift her immunity so that she could be arrested. Balluku has denied the allegations.
EU officials told Reuters that Brussels is closely monitoring how the Rama government handles corruption cases. The fight against organized crime and corruption remains a key issue in Albania’s EU accession process, with the government aiming for membership by 2030.
The allegations against Hiseni have not been established by a final court ruling, and she is entitled to the presumption of innocence throughout the proceedings.
