The Special Court of First Instance announced on Wednesday, April 15, the interim decision in the criminal case for corruption against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, his daughter's husband, Jamarbër Malltezi, and several other defendants, regarding their requests and those of SPAK, for the taking of evidence and the summoning of witnesses during this process that is being conducted under ordinary procedure.
Among the long list of evidence and witnesses requested by the parties in court, the head of the judicial panel, Elsa Ulliri, also read the name of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Rama has been requested as a witness by Berisha and the other defendants to testify regarding his decision in his capacity as mayor of Tirana to change the destination of the premises of the former "Partizani" sports club, from sports grounds to a construction site, which paved the way for the construction of a residential complex.
After the end of the session, Berisha's lawyer, Genc Gjokutaj, declared to reporters that Edi Rama is being summoned for the first time in the "Berisha" process, while he should have been summoned from the beginning.
"The prime minister's summons was a necessity and a lack of investigation, since the prosecution in the investigation summoned the Property Restitution Commission, summoned people who received orders from Rama and did not summon the person who gave the order, which is Rama himself. So, Rama's summons was a necessity that the court should not have overlooked," said Gjokutaj.
Lawyer Gjokutaj told BIRN that Edi Rama's call is important for the process, as the current prime minister is the one who changed the destination of the sports facilities into a construction site, and also granted the construction permit when he was mayor of Tirana.
Meanwhile, Gjoktaj claimed after the hearing that the court has made it easier for Rama, by not accepting the evidence they presented in the form required by law, which confirms the calls that Edi Rama has made from the Assembly and other forums of the Socialist Party for the prosecution of Sali Berisha.
In the next session, which will take place on April 30 at 12:30, the court called for questioning seven witnesses requested by SPAK; socialist MP Taulant Balla in the capacity of the accuser; former president of the Partizani club, Albert Xhani; former boss of this club, Afrim Tole; former directors of the complex Isa Tare and Bujar Labinoti; former director of AKKP Tirana, Dhurata Çela and topographer Petrit Kullolli.
The long list of witnesses accepted by the court includes the leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha.
The court decided to accept most of the evidence requested by the parties, including the questioning of experts who conducted expert assessments during the investigation, decisions of institutions, the KRT and ministries from 1995 onwards related to the property and its development, etc. Meanwhile, several blocks seized by the prosecution that do not appear in the minutes of the seized evidence were not accepted. Regarding a request by the defendant Fatmir Bektashi for a financial expert assessment of the projects, the court announced that it would rule after reviewing all expert assessments.
The case against Berisha and the other defendants was concluded in October 2024, when SPAK sent him to court for judicial review on corruption charges. Berisha and Malltezi have disputed the charges and described the investigation as orchestrated by Prime Minister Edi Rama. /BIRN/
