The Court of Appeal of Fier has decided to reduce the sentence for Albert Zaja, accused of "premeditated murder" and in cooperation with Shkëlzen Kastrati in the summer of 2021.
The decision of the Court of Appeal states:
- The conviction of the defendant A. Z, the consummation of the criminal offense of "Murder with premeditation", carried out in cooperation, is provided for in 78/1 and 25 of the Criminal Code of 18 (eighteen) years of imprisonment.
- In the combination of sentences, in the application of Article 55 of the Criminal Code, the sentence of the defendant A. Zme is 19 (nineteen) years of imprisonment.
- In application of Article 406 of the Penal Code, 1/3 of the sentence of the defendant A. His imprisonment for 12 (twelve) years and 8 (eight) months.
40-year-old Shkëlzen Kastrati was executed near the Circle in the village of Sheq in Fier. He was shot by a "Range Rover" type car, which after the murder was found burnt in Mbikalimi i Baltza.
It is suspected that the event is related to an old clash between the Binjaku and Kastrati families, due to the involvement of his brother, Klementi, in a revenge saga with Ermal Binjaku. In 2016, a similar assassination attempt was made on his brother at Ura e Mbrostari in Fier, but the bullets took the life of his friend, Denis Kasaj.
In the murder of Kastrati, Elmir Tufa and Albert Zaja are suspected to have been in the role of hired killers.