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The Special Prosecutor's Office in Albania announced that it has closed the investigations and has sent for trial the case of the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, under the charge of "active corruption in elections". Mr. Beleri was arrested two days before the May 14 local elections on suspicion of vote-buying. However, he was able to emerge victorious, with a very narrow margin of votes.
The prosecution explained that it has analyzed a series of evidence and data obtained from audio/video interceptions, from telephone examinations, from examinations of computer expertise acts, as well as from the statements of persons who have knowledge of the criminal offense and that "it turns out proven beyond any doubt" that he offered money in exchange for votes for his candidacy. The Special Prosecutor's Office explains that "Beleri has offered the citizen Arsen Rama the monetary sum of 50 euros for every person Arseni would find, who would vote for Beleri as a candidate for the mayor of Himara, in the local elections of 14.05.2023, while Arsen Rama himself has promised citizens the amount of 300 euros as a reward for the service he would perform".
Mr. Beleri, according to the Prosecutor's Office, gave the money through Pandeli Kokaveshi, "who was his accomplice in the commission of this corrupt act and the latter gave citizen Arsen Rama eight 5,000 Lek banknotes for eight people who they would vote in favor of Beler".
The latter has denied the charges and tried at all levels of justice to change the security measure from arrest to prison, but without success. Also, last month, the elected mayor of the Municipality of Himara, asked the court for a special permission to participate in the meeting of the constitution of the Municipal Council, where he would have to take the oath. But his request was also rejected. From a legal point of view, Mr. Beleri's situation remains unclear. The law provides, among other things, that the term of office of the Mayor ends when he "refuses to take the oath". While in this case, the situation is completely different, since he is in the conditions where he cannot do it.
His case led to strong clashes between Athens and Tirana. The Greek authorities reminded Albania several times that the path of its European Integration goes through respecting the rights of minorities. The Albanian authorities, for their part, insisted that the case in question was simply a matter of the justice system and that everyone should wait for its verdict./VOA
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