The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has published today an official announcement regarding the procedural developments of criminal case no. 27/2024, where the defendant is Erion Veliaj, along with other persons investigated in this file.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the criminal proceedings were sent for trial to the Special Court of First Instance on September 10, 2025, while the first hearing of the preliminary trial was scheduled for September 29, 2025. However, up to this stage, eight court hearings have been postponed, which - according to the announcement - were caused by the unjustified absences of the defendants' defense attorneys and requests considered unfounded by them. These postponements have prevented the conclusion of the preliminary trial within the legal deadlines of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In its official statement, the Prosecution has also responded to Erion Veliaj's claims regarding the familiarization with the procedural acts. The institution declares that it has fully implemented the obligations arising from Article 324 and Articles 327/2/3 of the Criminal Procedure Code, informing both the defendant and his lawyers in a timely manner of the completion of the investigations and the right to familiarize himself with the file.
The prosecution explains that on July 24, 2025, Veliaj's defense attorneys received a copy of the complete acts of file no. 27/2024 free of charge, a fact reflected in the official minutes of that date. Also, on October 10, 2025, the defendant's chosen lawyer requested additional materials of the investigations conducted from July 24 to September 2025, claiming in the request that according to the notification of July 23, a USB with the investigative acts had been made available to them.
Prosecutors emphasize that any further communication or misunderstanding between the defendant and the defense attorneys is a matter of their professional relationship and is not related to the prosecuting body, which - according to the statement - has fully respected its legal obligations.
In conclusion, the Special Prosecution Office reiterates its commitment to conducting a regular, transparent and lawful process, while the "Veliaj" case remains in the preliminary trial phase.
