Ulian Shpataraku, one of the closest people to the former Director General of the State Police, Ilir Proda, has sued the State Police in the Administrative Court, seeking his reinstatement to its ranks and the declaration of the decision that led to his dismissal as absolutely invalid.
In the lawsuit, Shpataraku claims that the disciplinary procedure was conducted in violation of the law. According to him, the order to initiate the disciplinary investigation was signed by Sokol Bizhga, who was then the Director General of the State Police after the departure of Ilir Proda, while the same official also headed the commission that decided on his expulsion. For the plaintiff, this fact makes the decision absolutely invalid.
Shpataraku also disputes the reasoning on which the disciplinary measure was based. He claims that the charge of absenteeism is unfounded, since, according to the attendance list filed with the court, it appears that he was paid regularly by his immediate superior at the time.
In support of his claims, he also presented the statement of the Director of the IT Department, who, according to the lawsuit, testified that "Shpataraku reported for duty", contrary to what is alleged in the disciplinary committee's decision.
He also submitted a certificate from the Security Academy, according to which the master's program he was attending took place after 4:00 PM, that is, after the end of official working hours, thus also opposing this argument used for his dismissal.
Shpataraku left the State Police immediately after Ilir Proda left the institution. The case raises questions not only about the way the disciplinary procedure was administered, but also about the standards of decision-making in the State Police, as the lawsuit itself claims that the same official was both the initiator of the procedure and the head of the body that decided on the professional fate of the officer.
