The Court of Appeals this Monday decided to uphold the detention order for Gjon Shkambi, the uncle of the suspect in the murder of judge Astrit Kalaja. Shkambi had requested his release, but the court confirmed the first instance decision.
He denied knowing that his nephew, Elvis Shkambi, was carrying a weapon, stressing that he has always chosen the legal route to resolve conflicts. Shkambi also said that he is in conflict with his brothers and that is why they took Elvis to court.
"I express my condolences to the family of Judge Kalaja and his colleagues. I had no knowledge that my nephew had a weapon; if I had known, I would have prevented it. I have conflicts with my brothers, so they suspected and held my nephew Elvis responsible. I had no intention of using violence, because for 30 years I have chosen the judicial path. If I had chosen violence, I would have done it earlier," said Shkambi.
The Appeals Court decision maintains the detention in force while the investigations into the incident and the role of those involved continue. The court rejected the request for release, based on the reasons presented by the investigative bodies and the evidence in the file.
