The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, appeared today at the Special Prosecution Office, where he was questioned for more than two hours as a witness about the events of January 21, 2011, when four protesters were killed in front of the Prime Minister's Office.
After leaving the session, Berisha declared that he had provided detailed explanations for every moment of that day. He accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of being the “organizer of the protest and the main person responsible” for the violent clashes.
Berisha insisted that the Republican Guard “did not fire from inside the Prime Minister’s Office” and that there was no order to fire. He emphasized this by using the same words to the media:
"Absolutely no order. No order was given to shoot. No order, ever. No order can be given."
He also recounted the episode when, according to him, Lulzim Basha and the Guard commander asked him to leave the office due to the danger:
"Yes, Basha came to my office and asked me, because the windows were broken with bullets or stones, at the window next to my desk and the minister, the commander of the Guard came and told me to evacuate, I said no. Because I was outside with the German ambassador and went straight into the office. I was on duty."
According to Berisha, during the taking of testimony, other elements of the file were also touched upon: the issues of the allegedly manipulated tapes, the legal aspects of the Guard's actions, meetings of officials of the time — including a meeting between Lulzim Basha and President Bamir Topi — as well as references to former Guard commander Agron Malaj and contacts with American diplomatic representatives.
Berisha said that he has clarified all the questions that were addressed to him and that this was a long session, without providing further details about the steps that SPAK will take next.
