Two senior Albanian officials and the owner of a construction company have been arrested on accusations of corruption and abuse of office, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.
The two officials _ Spartak Gjini, 52, and Llambi Tarka, 51 _ were arrested Wednesday for allegedly granting a tender illegally to the Siret construction company by forcing other interested companies to withdraw from the competition for reconstruction of the ministry's building, the Interior Ministry said.
The owner of Siret, 39-year-old Fiqiri Pali, was also arrested, the ministry said.
The three face prison sentences of up to 10 years if convicted.
More than twenty senior officials have been arrested in the past three months on the same charges in an effort by Prime Minister Sali Berisha's government, which has been in power for two years, to fight corruption.
A recent European Union report on Albania listed corruption as a major problem that was affecting the impoverished country's efforts to join the EU and NATO.
Transparency International recently ranked Albania as being the most corrupt country in southeastern Europe, putting the nation at 105 on this year's list of 180 countries worldwide.
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