FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The defense lawyers of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj have requested the exclusion of Judge Flora Hajredinaj from the panel of the Special Court that is examining the merits of the criminal case against him, claiming that there is a conflict of interest that could undermine the impartiality of the trial.
According to the request filed by the defense, the judge's sister, Teuta Gjunkshi, is in a legal process with the Municipality of Tirana, after she was fired from her job. According to the lawyers, this case is still being reviewed at the Court of Appeals.
The request also mentions that Teuta Gjunkshi's husband, Xhemal Gjunkshi, a former Democratic Party MP and functionary of this political force, has publicly expressed critical positions towards Erion Veliaj.
The defense argues that these circumstances, taken together, create reasonable doubts about the judge's impartiality and, therefore, requests her exclusion from the trial panel.
The request comes at a time when the trial against Veliaj has faced several consecutive postponements. Even today's session at the Special Court failed to open the judicial review, as the mayor's wife, Ajola Xoxa, who is also a defendant in this case, requested the suspension of the process until August 31 for health reasons after the birth of her child.
Through her lawyers, Xoxa argued that due to her health condition she could not communicate effectively with her legal counsel, making it impossible to guarantee a full defense during the trial.
The Special Prosecution Office rejected the request, while prosecutor Altin Dumani proposed as an alternative the separation of the case against Xoxa. After the review, the panel headed by judge Elsa Ulliri refused to suspend the process, but decided to postpone the session to July 21, suspending the detention terms for Erion Veliaj in the meantime.
Lini një Përgjigje