FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Berat Prosecutor's Office has requested security measures for 11 people suspected of illegally engaging in financial activity, as they are suspected of having conducted foreign exchange without a license from the Bank of Albania. According to investigations conducted within the framework of a criminal proceeding, administrators and employees of six commercial entities have engaged in foreign exchange activities without the authorization of the competent authorities.
The proactive investigation, which lasted six months, extended to five municipalities in the Berat district and documented the suspected activity of citizens with the initials ST, HS, MM, SH, SC, AH, AS, OV, ZM, ET and KP.
According to the Prosecution, the suspects had registered businesses with the object of activity of providing services as money transfer agents on behalf of and for the account of non-bank financial institutions, such as Unionnet and Western Union. However, verifications showed that these entities did not appear on the list of foreign exchange offices licensed by the Bank of Albania.
With the authorization of the prosecution, stimulating actions were carried out, as well as secret photographic and film recordings. During the investigation, 28 foreign exchange transactions were carried out at the suspected entities, documenting the exercise of the activity without a license.
From the controls carried out within the framework of the criminal proceedings, 88 million lek, 118 thousand euros, 7,390 dollars and 665 pounds were seized.
Under these circumstances, the Berat Prosecution requested the security measures "House arrest" and "Obligation to report to the judicial police" for the 11 people taken under investigation for the criminal offense of "Practising financial activities without a license".
"The Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, Berat requested the security measures 'House arrest' and 'Obligation to report to the judicial police', for 11 people, under investigation for the criminal offense 'Practice of financial activities without a license'. From the investigations conducted within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 47, it resulted that in the six commercial entities investigated, their administrators and employees carried out foreign exchange activities without the permission of the competent authorities.
The six-month proactive investigations of the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Berat extended to five municipalities throughout the region and managed to prove the illegal activity of citizens ST, HS, MM, SH, SC, AH, AS, OVZM, ET and KP.
These citizens had registered businesses with the scope of activity "Agent for carrying out financial activity for money transfers in the name and on behalf of a financial entity, not a bank. More specifically, the Unionnet and Western Union services, located in Berat and Kuçovë, were found not to be on the list of licensed foreign exchange offices, operating without a license issued by the Bank of Albania.
Based on the authorization granted by the prosecution body to allow the performance of stimulating actions and the performance of secret photographic, film or video recording, 28 exchange operations of monetary values were carried out at the suspected subjects, proving that they exercise this activity without a license.
Regarding the above, the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, Berat requested the security measures "Obligation to report to the judicial police" and "House arrest", provided for by articles 233, 234 and 237 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
"From the controls carried out in function of this proceeding, the following were found and seized:
88 million lekë; 118 thousand euros; 7390 dollars; and 665 pounds," the prosecution announced.
Lini një Përgjigje