TITLE VI PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
CHAPTER IV EX OFFICIO ACTIVITIES OF THE JUDICIAL POLICE
Article 294/c Controlled delivery
1. Controlled delivery shall be authorised by the prosecutor directing the preliminary investigations, upon request of competent authorities.
2. Controlled delivery may be authorized in the following cases:
a) when the persons suspected of being involved in the transportation of narcotic substances, weapons, stolen items, nuclear or explosive materials, radioactive materials, amounts of money or other proceeds [which are] products of a criminal offence, or items used to commit criminal offenses, cannot be identified or arrested by other means, or when their identification or arrest would harm investigations or would jeopardize the safety of persons or [cause] the damage or loss of the items being transported;
b) when the detection of criminal offences and obtaining of evidence is impossible or extremely difficult to carry out by other means.
3. Controlled delivery is made according to conditions set by the prosecutor, who orders it by a reasoned act after ensuring that the authorities of foreign countries:
a) have given their consent for illegal or suspected items to enter, transit or exit from their territory;
b) guarantee constant supervision of the entry, transit or exit of items from their territory;
4. Prosecutor’s order authorising controlled delivery should contain:
a) the name of the suspect or defendant, if known;
b) evidence proving the illegal nature of the items that need to enter, transit or exit the territory of the State and the way their control or supervision shall be carried out.
5. Where appropriate, the prosecutor’s order shall be attached to the act authorising the full or partial replacement of illegal items and the place where the samples received are placed.
6. Controlled delivery shall be executed by the judicial police, under the supervision and control of the prosecutor.
TITLE VI PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
CHAPTER V ACTIVITIES OF THE PROSECUTOR
Article 306 Relations between different prosecution offices
1. Prosecution offices proceeding in connected investigations coordinate the work between them. For this purpose, they exchange documents and information and notifications on the instructions provided to the judicial police. They may also proceed jointly in carrying out special actions.
2. investigations of two different prosecution offices are deemed to be connected:
a) in case of joinder of proceedings or in respect of criminal offences committed by more persons against each other;
b) when the evidence of a criminal offence or of any circumstances, impacts the evidence of any other criminal offence or any other circumstance;
c) when the evidence of more criminal offences arises, even in part, from the same source.
TITLE IX EXECUTION OF DECISIONS
CHAPTER II INTERNATIONAL ROGATORY LETTERS
SECTION I ROGATORY LETTERS FROM ABROAD
Article 506 Judicial Proceedings
1. The foreign rogatory letter cannot be executed before a favourable decision has been issued by the court of the place where the person must be subject to proceedings.
2. The district prosecutor, after obtaining the acts from the Ministry of Justice, submits a request to the court, within five days of the submission of acts by the Ministry of Justice.
3. The court rules on the execution of the rogatory letter by decision, within 10 days from the submission of the request.
4. The execution of the rogatory letter shall not accepted:
a) in the cases when the Ministry of Justice does not proceed with the rogatory letter, pursuant to the provisions of international acts in which the Republic of Albania is a party and relevant reservations and legal declarations [made by it].
b) when the fact for which the foreign authority proceeds is not provided as a criminal offence by the Albanian law.
1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:
(a) The identification and whereabouts of persons or the location of items;
(b) The taking of evidence, including testimony under oath, and the production of evidence, including expert opinions and reports necessary to the Court;
(c) The questioning of any person being investigated or prosecuted;
(d) The service of documents, including judicial documents;
(e) Facilitating the voluntary appearance of persons as witnesses or experts before the Court;
(f) The temporary transfer of persons as provided in paragraph 7;
(g) The examination of places or sites, including the exhumation and examination of grave sites;
(h) The execution of searches and seizures;
(i) The provision of records and documents, including official records and documents;
(j) The protection of victims and witnesses and the preservation of evidence;
(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and
(l) Any other type of assistance which is not prohibited by the law of the requested State, with a view to facilitating the investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.
2. The Court shall have the authority to provide an assurance to a witness or an expert appearing before the Court that he or she will not be prosecuted, detained or subjected to any restriction of personal freedom by the Court in respect of any act or omission that preceded the departure of that person from the requested State.
3. Where execution of a particular measure of assistance detailed in a request presented under paragraph 1, is prohibited in the requested State on the basis of an existing fundamental legal principle of general application, the requested State shall promptly consult with the Court to try to resolve the matter. In the consultations, consideration should be given to whether the assistance can be rendered in another manner or subject to conditions. If after consultations the matter cannot be resolved, the Court shall modify the request as necessary.
4. In accordance with article 72, a State Party may deny a request for assistance, in whole or in part, only if the request concerns the production of any documents or disclosure of evidence which relates to its national security.
5. Before denying a request for assistance under paragraph 1 (l), the requested State shall consider whether the assistance can be provided subject to specified conditions, or whether the assistance can be provided at a later date or in an alternative manner, provided that if the Court or the Prosecutor accepts the assistance subject to conditions, the Court or the Prosecutor shall abide by them.
6. If a request for assistance is denied, the requested State Party shall promptly inform the Court or the Prosecutor of the reasons for such denial.
(a) The Court may request the temporary transfer of a person in custody for purposes of identification or for obtaining testimony or other assistance. The person may be transferred if the following conditions are fulfilled:
(i) The person freely gives his or her informed consent to the transfer; and
(ii) The requested State agrees to the transfer, subject to such conditions as that State and the Court may agree.
(b) The person being transferred shall remain in custody. When the purposes of the transfer have been fulfilled, the Court shall return the person without delay to the requested State.
(a) The Court shall ensure the confidentiality of documents and information, except as required for the investigation and proceedings described in the request.
(b) The requested State may, when necessary, transmit documents or information to the Prosecutor on a confidential basis. The Prosecutor may then use them solely for the purpose of generating new evidence.
(c) The requested State may, on its own motion or at the request of the Prosecutor, subsequently consent to the disclosure of such documents or information. They may then be used as evidence pursuant to the provisions of Parts 5 and 6 and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
(i) In the event that a State Party receives competing requests, other than for surrender or extradition, from the Court and from another State pursuant to an international obligation, the State Party shall endeavour, in consultation with the Court and the other State, to meet both requests, if necessary by postponing or attaching conditions to one or the other request.
(ii) Failing that, competing requests shall be resolved in accordance with the principles established in article 90.
(b) Where, however, the request from the Court concerns information, property or persons which are subject to the control of a third State or an international organization by virtue of an international agreement, the requested States shall so inform the Court and the Court shall direct its request to the third State or international organization.
(a) The Court may, upon request, cooperate with and provide assistance to a State Party conducting an investigation into or trial in respect of conduct which constitutes a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court or which constitutes a serious crime under the national law of the requesting State.
(b)
(i) The assistance provided under subparagraph (a) shall include, inter alia:
a. The transmission of statements, documents or other types of evidence obtained in the course of an investigation or a trial conducted by the Court; and
b. The questioning of any person detained by order of the Court;
(ii) In the case of assistance under subparagraph (b) (i) a:
a. If the documents or other types of evidence have been obtained with the assistance of a State, such transmission shall require the consent of that State;
b. If the statements, documents or other types of evidence have been provided by a witness or expert, such transmission shall be subject to the provisions of article 68.
(c) The Court may, under the conditions set out in this paragraph, grant a request for assistance under this paragraph from a State which is not a Party to this Statute.
1. A request for other forms of assistance referred to in article 93 shall be made in writing. In urgent cases, a request may be made by any medium capable of delivering a written record, provided that the request shall be confirmed through the channel provided for in article 87, paragraph 1 (a).
2. The request shall, as applicable, contain or be supported by the following:
(a) A concise statement of the purpose of the request and the assistance sought, including the legal basis and the grounds for the request;
(b) As much detailed information as possible about the location or identification of any person or place that must be found or identified in order for the assistance sought to be provided;
(c) A concise statement of the essential facts underlying the request;
(d) The reasons for and details of any procedure or requirement to be followed;
(e) Such information as may be required under the law of the requested State in order to execute the request; and
(f) Any other information relevant in order for the assistance sought to be provided.
3. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may apply under paragraph 2 (e). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.
4. The provisions of this article shall, where applicable, also apply in respect of a request for assistance made to the Court.