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One of the most sensitive criminal and political cases linking Belgium with Albania has taken an unexpected turn. On Wednesday, Chamber 46 of the Criminal Court in Brussels decided to declare itself “territorially incompetent” to try the case known as the “Toyota Yaris”, a dossier involving complex links between organized crime and the Albanian political world.
The decision was confirmed by the defendants' lawyers, including well-known names in the legal field in Belgium such as Kamran Najib, Quentin and Jean-Philippe Mayence, Olivier Martins, Sven Mary, Dimitri de Béco and Johan Heymans, writes " DH NET . "
The case began in July 2019, when Albanian authorities seized a truck carrying Toyota vehicles purchased in Belgium at a port in the country. Hidden in two of these vehicles were discovered 3.5 million euros and 100,000 Swiss francs, amounts believed to have criminal origins from the Belgian-Albanian network.
Due to the importance of the file, a delegation from the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office traveled to Albania to question several people, including the former Albanian Foreign Minister, Lulzim Basha. However, he has not been included as a defendant in the Belgian proceedings. So far, thirteen people have been formally charged in Belgium and have faced justice in Brussels.
The case is particularly sensitive, as it constitutes a silent test for Albania's international image in the context of its bid for European Union membership. The scandal has exposed not only dubious political ties to international criminal networks, but has also shaken the foundations of Albania's justice system.
The Belgian court argues that there is insufficient evidence to determine where and when exactly the amount of money was put into the seized vehicles, highlighting the fact that the truck had passed through several countries before being stopped in Albania.
Despite the court's decision not to examine the case, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office retains the right to appeal this decision, which would open a new chapter for a file that remains hot on the political and diplomatic scene of both countries.
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