Strong debates in the Special Court during the preliminary hearing against the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who is facing 13 criminal charges, such as corruption, money laundering, and concealment of assets.
At the hearing, the attorney assigned to the case again requested time to consult with Veliaj, as she had only had contact with the latter in custody for 1 hour on Friday, which is insufficient.
Artan Gjermeni requested that Erion Veliaj be allowed to be accompanied to court, where he could consult with his attorney, and that his procedural position be clarified.
In this wave of debates between the parties, SPAK requested to move on to the final conclusions, arguing that they have become familiar with the acts. At this point, Veliaj's lawyer left the courtroom, claiming that his procedural position was unclear.
After leaving the Gjermeni court, Mayor Veliaj also left, requesting the exclusion of the judging panel and the lawyer in chief.
The Special Court closed the preliminary examination of the "Veliaj" file. The court adjourned for a decision in the session of February 9 at 12:00. The session was postponed beyond the 5-day deadline due to Veliaj's request for the judge to be disqualified, if he files it in writing.
