Ambassador John L. Withers at Financial Investigative Techniques Seminar, General Prosecutor’s Office (April 7, 2008)

It is a real honor and a privilege to be with all of you today. I have been talking with my colleagues and I know what a distinguished group this is and what an important seminar this will be.

I am particularly happy to be with you today at this time of celebration of Albania’s invitation into the NATO Alliance. I believe that this was an important, indeed an historic decision, and Albania will now enter a new era of its goals to integrate into the European and Atlantic community.

Part of this new era, however, is that NATO and NATO membership comes with new obligations, not just military ones.

Foremost among these is the establishment of a fair and just judicial system, one where criminals are brought to justice without the intrusion of political influence.

All of you, all of you here in this room, prosecutors and police, are an absolutely essential part of that system. You in this room are the ones who bring corrupt public officials to justice; the ones who find the money launderers and put them in prison; the ones who confiscate money and assets from the criminals who bought them with money earned from trafficking in drugs, weapons, and humans. You are the ones who follow the money and find the truth.

I want to emphasize that I am here to tell you that we support you wholeheartedly in your efforts, and will continue to so, especially through our OPDAT and ICITAP programs. I am especially happy to welcome today the new OPDAT anti-corruption Resident Legal Advisor, Ms. Cindy Eldridge, who will be embedded in the Tirana Joint Investigative Unit (JIU) to Fight Economic Crime and Corruption and work closely with many of you.

Our USAID Rule of Law project also is designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the court system.

Before the Albanian justice system today is a very important investigation of the Gërdec tragedy. And I want to express my full support for a complete, thorough, and impartial investigation of the Gërdec explosion. It should lead wherever the evidence takes it, no matter where that evidence leads or who is involved. Only this will restore public trust in Albania’s institutions of justice.

As the Prosecutor’s Office investigates this incident for evidence of wrongdoing, I hope it encounters no political interference of any kind. I further hope that the court procedures be rigorous and that whatever sentences might be handed down by Albanian courts would be commensurate with the crimes, regardless of the political status or connections of the criminals.

I believe that we are all most fortunate to have Prosecutor General, Ina Rama, leading this investigation. Madam Prosecutor General, I have full confidence in your leadership and guidance of this investigation. Pursuant to your request, six U.S. federal criminal investigative ATF agents who are experts in investigations of explosions arrived yesterday to assist the police and prosecutors of the Gërdec investigation team.

The U.S. is providing assistance for the Gërdec tragedy in a number of other ways, which are listed in detail in a press release that we will soon make available. They include humanitarian aid from USAID and military experts from the U.S. Military’s European Command (EUCOM).

EUCOM has sent a team of experts in explosive ordnance, hazardous materials, environmental analysis and forensic science. The team is examining the site of the Gërdec tragedy daily and offering their advice to Albanian authorities.

Albania is a friend and now NATO ally of the U.S. and we are proud to offer this assistance in the wake of this tragedy. However, we are very concerned about the management of the site. Our experts have advised the government that there are safety issues that could lead to additional injuries, if changes are not made. Specifically, the area is still full of unexploded ammunition, much of it just below the surface, and most of the homes in the blast zone suffered serious structural damage. There are also unknown environmental risks that still must be analyzed.

I therefore caution against local residents being permitted to move back into their homes prematurely. I sympathize with the residents, who are understandably anxious to resume their normal lives. However, returning too soon is inviting serious risks for people who have already suffered too much. We ask the Albanian authorities to counsel patience until a full site clean up has been completed and reconstruction of damaged homes is complete.

In closing, I would like to say that this seminar occurs at very historic and very exciting times for Albania and for the relationship between Albania and America. This seminar is an example of this deep cooperation and friendship. Together, all of you will do important work for your country and for mine.

I want to thank Prosecutor General Rama for inviting me here today and I hope that my presence underscores how important we feel this seminar is.

I wish you all an excellent and successful seminar, and I look forward to hearing news of more successful investigations and prosecutions of corruption and financial crime.