FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Special Court of Appeal decided on Tuesday, September 16, to uphold the sentence of the former mayor of Durres, Vangjush Dako, to 2 years and 8 months in prison for "abuse of office", given by the first instance, related to illegalities in the procedure for granting a permit to build a multi-storey building, as well as for misuse of public funds in the construction of a promenade on the coast.
However, in addition to the period spent in prison from his arrest on June 6, 2023 to February 27, 2024, when he was released due to the expiration of his pre-trial detention period, Dako will also have to serve about 11 days in prison, as the rest of the time he served under "house arrest", also known as serving a sentence.
Dako was released from prison eight months after his arrest, after it was determined that SPAK failed to complete the court-ordered investigations within the deadlines, tasks that remained after reviewing the request for trial. He remained under house arrest until the Appeals Court's decision on Tuesday.
According to the prosecution, the calculation shows that Dako must remain in prison for another 11 days, as he has served the remaining time during the 9 months he spent in pre-trial detention and the remaining period under "house arrest." The pre-trial detention time is calculated as one and a half days of deprivation of liberty.
Official sources from the General Directorate of Prisons told BIRN on Tuesday afternoon that no official request had yet been received from the prosecution regarding Dako.
The appeal has also decided to leave in force the sentences imposed on two of the three other co-defendants, Ardian Bulku and Fiqiri Farruku, who had appealed the 2-year sentence for forgery, a sentence that was suspended on condition by the first instance. The other defendant, Fatmir Ejupi, was also sentenced to 2 years in prison, while the execution of the sentence was suspended and he was placed on probation for 4 years, just like Bulku and Farruku.
Dako was investigated by SPAK for actions contrary to the powers of the mayor in approving the construction permit in favor of the company “Fakle” sh.pk, as he and his subordinates drafted the documents two years after the construction had been completed and the residents had moved into the building in question. The investigation concluded that the legalization of a multi-storey building built without a permit had been carried out, while the construction had not been carried out according to the project submitted by the builder and approved by the municipality.
The second criminal fact for which the prosecution accuses Dako is related to a procurement procedure for consultancy services, the provision of a project called "Design-implementation for the Coastal Promenade and Public Beach from Bërryli to Currila". According to SPAK, the commission established by order of Dako incorrectly calculated the limit fund, setting it at a value almost ten times higher than what it should have been based on the Decision of the Council of Ministers.
Vangjush Dako was the longest-serving mayor of the Socialist Party in Durrës, declared persona non grata by the US State Department in July 2019 on the grounds of “major corruption”. He has been accused by the opposition and has resulted in wiretapping with elements of organized crime, who, in addition to drug trafficking, are also suspected of influencing the outcome of the 2017 Durrës elections./ BIRN
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