FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The hearing for Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj has begun at the Special Court of Appeals, which was postponed yesterday due to the presentation of new evidence by the Special Prosecution for Veliaj.
In the courtroom are the head of SPAK Altin Dumani and prosecutor Olsi Dado.
In his speech at the Appeal of the Criminal Court of Kosovo, Erion Veliaj requested freedom.
Speaking about the 'new evidence' that SPAK has submitted, Veliaj expressed why Berisha's attacks on SPAK were not considered new evidence, while adding that there are no secrets in conversations with family members.
"You have brought "new evidence", I ask that you bring the cameras and that this session be open to the media. Bring the media so that I can publicly declare before them the wiretaps carried out against me. I have no secrets in my phone conversations with my family members from the prison cell. You isolated me for 1 month in prison so that you could find "new evidence". Saliu insulted SPAK and accused it of being a criminal organization, what did he find? Why were Berisha's attacks on SPAK not considered new evidence?", said Veliaj.
Veliaj then objected to the new evidence presented by SPAK, stressing that it did not constitute new legal elements. He requested an open-door hearing.
The hearing was postponed the day before after Veliaj's defense requested time to review the new evidence submitted by the two special prosecutors, Ols Dado and Altin Dumani.
Two lawyers, Ermir Beta and Artur Selmani, have requested a milder security measure for Veliaj in exchange for a financial guarantee, arguing that there is no risk of him destroying evidence. Meanwhile, Veliaj will also be present at the hearing today, where he is also expected to speak before judge Engert Pëllumbi. It will be the latter who will decide whether or not Veliaj will be released from prison, while he is also known as the judge who sentenced former socialist minister Saimir Tahiri.
Businessman Elma Abule, who is currently in prison on charges of money laundering, has also requested his release. His lawyer, Romina Zano, also requested a more lenient measure in relation to the bail. Joshua Roberts, a representative of the American law firm "Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP", which is advising Mayor Veliaj, was also present at the GJKO Appeal.
The defense lawyers of the three businessmen Shkëlqim Fusha, Gentian Sula and Meriman Palushi have requested the removal of the mandatory appearance measure, arguing that it is not at the level of the legal standard, as according to them the evidence is not sufficient. Sula and Palushi were not physically present at the hearing, while they were represented only by their lawyers. The three are accused of active corruption.
The security measure has not been appealed in the Second Instance of the judiciary by Ajola Xoxa, Sokol Kryeziu and Fatmir Bektashi. Mayor Veliaj has been held in custody since February 10 and is accused of the criminal offenses of "Passive Corruption" and "Money Laundering", committed in collaboration with his wife Ajola Xoxa, who is being investigated under a mandatory appearance measure, also for failure to declare assets.
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