The Special Prosecution Office accuses Plaurent Dervishaj of the Durrës gang of the assassination, in collaboration with Julian Meçaj, Bledar Polovina, Amar Shkëmbi (alias Dritan), Ramazan Rraja, Endrit Sinan, Genti Nderjaku, Bashkim Haxhija and Julian Pjetri.
Ndoja testified in the Special Court in the capacity of the victim and was questioned by prosecutor Adnan Xholi. He explained that during 2019 he practiced the profession of prosecutor in Durrës and had not had any conflict with anyone.
Ndoja said that on the morning of the assassination, he had left home at around 07:30 accompanied by his driver, Andi Maloku, and had gone to work. At noon, he had gone to the “Koral” restaurant to have lunch with Pëllumb Muharremi alias Aleksandër Laho, Enver Shala and a friend of the latter. According to Ndoja, they must have stayed there until around 16:00 and then left in two vehicles, heading towards a place called Ura e Dajlanit.
"Andi Maloku was driving the vehicle, as I was not feeling well. I was sitting in the front seat, while Aleksandër Laho was behind," he told the court.
He explained that they had entered the highway and were walking in the fast lane, on the side of the traffic divider, when they heard gunshots at the overpass. According to MP Ndoja, the bullets had come from their right side and that there were many.
He claimed that he heard two distinct cracking noises, indicating that two weapons were being used, not firing in bursts, but rather once and twice. When the deceased driver was injured, he swerved and went off the road, colliding with one of the traffic dividers.
Ndoja said that in the first moments, the late Andi Maloku was the most aware, but according to him, no one realized that they were being followed nor did they know the reason why they had been attacked.
He emphasized that no one had explained the incident to him except the Prosecutor's Office.
"Of the defendants in the assassination, I only know Plaurent Dervishaj because of a proceeding against him," he stated.
Xholi asked him where he stayed most often in Lalzi Bay, but Ndoja said he didn't have any specifics. He denied having any property interest in Lalzi Bay.
He also said that he had had chance encounters with Laho, as he knew his brother. He insisted that Laho had never been in his car except on the day of the assassination.
He further stated that MP Halit Valteri had given him a CD featuring the perpetrators and that he had raised this issue in parliament. Ndoja explained that he knew the father of the defendant Julian Meçe, but none of the defendants or their relatives were interested in him.
"I am calm to this day because I owe no man anything," he said.
After MP Ndoja, Erion Alibej - a murder defendant and collaborator of justice in a parallel case - took the stand as a witness.
In response to questions from prosecutor Andan Xholi, Alibej stated that he had known Plaurent Dervishaj with whom he exchanged information.
He said that his wife's uncle had helped him get to know Dervishaj, who had introduced him to a person named Ilir, who at the time had a cigarette factory in Librazhd. According to Alibej, Plaurenti had gone to meet another person, who he later learned was nicknamed "Mond Çekici".
Both Alibej and Dervishaj used the encrypted applications, Sky ECC and Encrochat.
Alibej stated that when Plaurent Dervishaj was assassinated, he had collected information about who could have carried it out and sent it to him. In turn, Dervishaj also helped him with the information he sought.
According to the witness, Dervishaj only wanted to eliminate former prosecutor Arjan Ndoja and Aleksandër Laho, not anyone else close to them. He said that Dervishaj had a dislike for Laho and said that he did not count on him at all.
Alibej stated that after the assassination attempt he had offered to help with Ndoja's execution, but that the defendant Dervishaj had told him that there was no need, as he had the capacity./reporter.al
