TIRANA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A dean, a department head and a part-time lecturer with an Albanian university were among a total of seven people arrested on corruption charges, authorities said on Wednesday.

Albanian Police in cooperation with the Prosecutor's Office of Elbasan district, center Albania arrested on Tuesday evening seven persons accused of passive corruption during the exercise of public office.

Among the seven arrested individuals are the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Aleksander Xhuvani University in Elbasan, the head of the Journalism Department in the same university, and a part time lecturer at the Faculty of Economics.

The arrested people have been accused of "exercising an illegal impact on persons who exercise public functions" as well as guilty of setting up a corruption scheme, asking students for sums of money in exchange for a passing grade.

According to the prosecution office, the operation came after months of investigation.

The arrest took place on the evening of May 8. The University rector Liman Varoshi reacted shortly through an announcement, stating that the Rector of the University has ordered the immediate suspension from the duties of the above employees.