Saranda police have found the knife suspected of being used in the murder of 21-year-old Portuguese Luis Miguel Varela Mendez, a serious incident that occurred in Ksamil.
The discovery of the crime weapon constitutes important evidence for the investigation, while it is expected that the knife will undergo further forensic and biological examinations to determine traces that could lead to the full elucidation of the dynamics of the event.
The 21-year-old Portuguese man was stabbed to death after a conflict broke out near the "Principote" club in Ksamil. According to evidence provided during the investigation, the clash began between several foreign tourists and people associated with the club's security, while the situation later escalated into a physical conflict.
In his testimony, Tourpal Khitaev, a French citizen and friend of the victim, stated that he was involved in the conflict and that Luis Miguel Varela Mendez had intervened to stop the people who were hitting him. Khitaev said that he did not see the moment when his friend was stabbed, but he identified Sokrat Vata through photographs as the person who, according to him, was holding the knife during the conflict.
Another witness, Florian Cetina, told investigators that he saw the victim with his shirt covered in blood and that the people involved in the conflict had run away towards the bar. He also described the person who allegedly used the knife, identifying him through photographs.
On the other hand, Sokrat Vata, arrested as a suspect in the murder, has denied stabbing anyone. In his testimony, he claims that he initially intervened to separate the people who were in conflict and that during the clash he took the knife from one of the strangers, injuring himself in the hand.
After the conflict, Vata fled the scene and was arrested a few hours later in the trunk of a vehicle driven by a Turkish national. Investigators have also taken testimony from people who allegedly helped him leave the area.
