Albania: Immunity Lifted for 2 MPs in Murder Plot Claim

Albanian lawmakers have voted to lift the immunity of two of their colleagues who had claimed the parliament speaker was behind an alleged assassination plot against one of them.

Lawmakers voted 79 to one abstention Thursday to allow the prosecution of Tom Doshi. Doshi was expelled from the governing Socialists three weeks ago after claiming Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta, a former prime minister, had paid 600,000 euros ($656,000) to have him killed.

Immunity from prosecution was also lifted for Christian Democrat Mark Frroku, who Doshi had claimed first told him about the alleged plot. Frroku has denied the allegation.

The two were formally accused of false testimony after a probe found no evidence of an assassination plot. They face up to five years in prison if convicted.