Shullazi Hearing Fails Again

The judicial hearing of Emiljano Shullazi’s gang failed today, once again, after one of the accused, Blerim Shullazi, claimed he was ill and asked for the hearing to be postponed.

During today’s hearing, the Serious Crimes Prosecution was expected to announce its recommended sentence for Emiljano Shullazi, Gilmando Dani, Endrit Qyqja, Endrit Zela and Blerim Shullazi.

Today, the body of prosecutors who would represent the state also became known. It is made up of Donika Prela, head of the Serious Crimes Prosecution Office, Gentian Osmani, Besnik Muçi and Anton Martini.

It is worth remembering that, in the last few days, the Shullazi gang file became the cause for launching disciplinary investigations into 10 prosecutors, transferring three others to local Prosecution Offices, and the dismissal of another prosecutor.

The prosecutors currently under disciplinary investigation opposed Prela’s and Temporary General Prosecutor Arta Marku’s decision to draw a new lot to determine new prosecutors for the Shullazi case. According to them, the lot would be illegal, as the prosecutors who investigated the Shullazi case are still available, so there is no reason to pick new prosecutors as soon as the hearings started.

Marku responded to their objections with disciplinary measures: she decided to open disciplinary investigations into 10 prosecutors, and to transfer three prosecutors into regional Prosecution Offices, namely Besim Hajdarmataj in Pogradec, Sonila Muhametaj in Puka, and Olsian Çela in Berat.

A day after, Marku also dismissed the head of the Prosecution Offices Inspection Directory, Sokol Stojani, after he refused to investigate his 10 colleagues.