TIRANA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Albania's Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes Thursday officially requested the parliament to lift the immunity of the Socialist Party lawmaker Saimir Tahiri who is under investigation over alleged ties with a group of drug traffickers.
Tahiri, the former minister of Interior, who is now an MP, has been mentioned in the recorded conversations of several people involved in the trafficking of narcotics made by Italian authorities.
According to prosecution office's press release, Tahiri will be investigated for the penal offence of "trafficking of narcotics", committed in collaboration in criminal group and "passive corruption of top state officials."
The office also demanded the Committee on Mandates of the Parliament of Albania to authorize "arrest, restrict freedom and control of person and house" for Tahiri.
The issue has sparked strong debates in Albania. The opposition parties have requested Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down, saying that the Albanian government has practically fallen.
The Albanian opposition leader Lulzim Basha declared in a press conference Thursday that parliament should act immediately and lift immunity of Tahiri.
On the other hand, Rama reacted by saying that he was hoping that the former minister would prove that he had no connections with the accusations addressed against him.
