Denada Jushi
There are some positions where longevity in office is almost impossible. One of these "cursed chairs" seems to be that of the Director General of the State Police.
From today, Ilir Proda will no longer be the leader of the blue uniforms, becoming the next "victim" in the Prime Minister's dismissals.
Upon taking power in 2013, Artan Didi, a well-known name in its ranks, returned from America, having emigrated to the US after being dismissed from office during Berisha's government, was appointed head of the Police.
He remained at the head of the Police for two years. He took up the position in 2013 and held it until March 31, 2015. He replaced Hysni Burgaj in this position, who had been at the head of the Police since 2009 with a full mandate.
Artan Didi resigned after the scandal at the time involving a majority MP and links to files in Belgium.
Immediately after him, Haki Çako was appointed, who led the Police from April 15, 2015 to January 8, 2018. This leader was also dismissed from his post, according to the Minister of Interior at the time, because he did not meet the objectives and did not achieve the required efficiency in order and security in the country.
But, in fact, his dismissal came amid the scandal that had engulfed the country. The storm of accusations rose against Çako after the scandal of wiretapping of the Habilaj traffickers, in which former minister Tahiri was also involved.
On February 5, 2018, another name was appointed to head the Police: Ardi Veliu, who remained in office until October 8, 2021.
During his three-year tenure, several serious events occurred in Albania. Veliu's dismissal, which was later "translated" as resignation, was requested several times. One of the most sensational cases was the murder of Klodian Rasha on December 8, 2020. The 25-year-old was shot dead by a police officer in a .
These and other events brought numerous reactions, with calls for the removal of the Police Director. Prime Minister Edi Rama did not dismiss him during the wave of protests that swept the country, but set a 100-day deadline for the State Police leaders to find and bring to justice all the infiltrators inside the blue uniforms who collaborated with crime.
Ten days before the end of his term, Prime Minister Rama announced Ardi Veliu's resignation. Although the motivation given was that he wanted to take time for his family, he was later appointed to other positions.
His successor, Gledis Nano, was appointed on October 8, 2021 and stayed until August 31, 2022. Coming from the direction of Anti-Terror, with a clean image and the mission to clean up the image created by previous scandals, Nano became one of the directors who did not hold the position for even a full year.
Nano was dismissed after two incidents in the country: an accident in which a police officer, while driving a boat, fatally hit a child on the coast of Himara, and the disappearance of Ervis Martinaj in August, a sensational event that has not yet been solved. These events led the Prime Minister to dismiss Gladis Nano.
His successor, a week later, was Muhamet Rrumbullaku, appointed on September 8, 2022 and serving until September 5, 2024, reinforcing the precedent that the general directors of the Police would not stay in this position for long.
However, in this period, more than the abilities of the leaders or the lack of results, the names of the appointments and dismissals were linked to the sudden changes of the Ministers of Interior.
As a confidant of former minister Taulant Balla, Ilir Proda was appointed on October 2, 2024 and remained until March 1, 2026. After the opposition protest and the episode of throwing Molotov cocktails towards the villa of dictator Hoxha, it was initially announced as a dismissal, and then, according to previous precedents, it was presented as Proda's resignation.
But, more than the mismanagement of the opposition protests, which have been faced with an iron fist by the police, Ilir Proda seems like a "victim" of a practice that has been going on for years: every time there are scandals, a "scapegoat" is needed.
This time it was Ilir Proda's turn.
Awaiting the new leader and his/her duration in this position!/acqj.al
