Ilir Meta and Monika Kryemadhi will be tried together in the usual procedure, while for the other three defendants, Ema Coku, Piro Xhixho and Fatime Kryemadhi, a request for a shortened trial was accepted at the end of a marathon session that began on Monday morning and ended more than 1 and a half hours outside official working hours.
The process began with Meta's request for a replacement measure, which after much debate between the parties was rejected by the court.
The court justified the measure by saying that the defendant could damage evidence by intimidating witnesses, but for Meta's lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, this is nothing more than speculation.
During the hearing, lawyer Cakrani referred to the unifying decision of the Supreme Court regarding the security measure. "Ilir Meta has been in detention for 19 months. The trial on the merits has not yet begun and it is not known when it will end. The risk of witness intimidation remains speculative. The prosecution says it will destroy evidence, but it does not say what the evidence is. The prosecution says it will intimidate witnesses, but it does not say which witnesses it will intimidate. We demand that the former president have a more lenient measure," said Cakrani. He also brought to the courtroom the release from "house arrest" of the former director of the AKSHI, Mirlinda Karçanaj.
"She was also for 'criminal group' and the Supreme Court released her from 'house arrest'. Why should the detention continue? All the conditions have changed. The court should reflect," Cakrani continued.
Prosecutor Sotir Kllapi brought to the court's attention that "the lawyer did not present any evidence of what has changed, but only general arguments. The defense referred to the unifying decision of May 4. If there is no circumstance that has mitigated the security needs or reasonable suspicion, we think that there is no changed circumstance. The criminal activity for which the defendant Ilir Meta is accused extends from 2009 to 2017 and he has only been charged once for the act of 'false declaration'. A long period of time. We think that the social dangerousness is evident. In these circumstances, the unifying decision does not bring anything new to this process. There is no mitigation of the security needs", said the prosecutor.
Meta's request for a substitute measure was rejected, while there was debate regarding the live broadcast of the trial, which was also rejected by the trial panel.
"Live broadcast should be allowed. Every request we make, we ask for justification, along with what we did in the last session about the cage," said Cakrani.
During the session, MP Bujar Leskaj asked: "President, how are you? Are you strong?"
"I'm fine, I'm strong." (inaudible as he greets Noka and the supporters in the hall). He approaches and says: "Acoustics, acoustics, glass," Meta says.
This sparked debate again regarding Ilir Meta's placement in a glass cage, which they say is discriminatory.
"Here is human dignity, the president in a glass cage. Where is your dignity in these new halls? Here are the tenders, the president in a cage. Are you kidding me? We are not stupid," said Cakrani. Democratic MP Klevis Balliu from the hall said that there are people outside, about 200 people.
"There are people outside who want to attend the trial and they are not letting them," said Tedi Blushi. The court drew his attention by telling him: "This is not a rally."
Ilir Meta and Monika Kryemadhi are being tried for corruption, money laundering and concealment of assets.
