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"Partizani" case, the testimony of former Defense Minister Gazmend Oketa is revealed

2026-07-06 12:11:23Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"Partizani" case, the testimony of former Defense Minister Gazmend
Former Minister of Defense, Gazmend Oketa

Former Minister of Defense, Gazmend Oketa, has testified at the Special Court in connection with the "Partizani" case, where former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his son-in-law, Jamarbër Malltezi, are being tried for corruption.

SPAK: When were you Minister of Defense and what functions did you have?

Oketa: I was Deputy Prime Minister, then I took on the role of Minister of Defense. In the years 2009–2012 I was a Member of Parliament.

SPAK: What was the Partizani Club in relation to the Ministry of Defense?

Oketa: In my memory, the Partizani Club had zero interest in the Ministry of Defense. I don't remember it having any special importance. To my knowledge, it was administered by private individuals. In almost none of the discussions or meetings, I don't remember it being raised as an issue that this club should occupy a special place in the Ministry of Defense.

SPAK: When you were Minister of Defense, you started implementing the decision of the Council of Ministers for the Partizani Club.

Oketa: I was the Minister of Defense and not the Minister of Sports. It had no special importance for us, because it was not a property that could be used for the Ministry of Defense. Partizani Club, in my memory, was a private club. I did not consider it at all. A cultural institution is not made by the building, but by the work.

SPAK: Were you interested in the property, given that it was under your control?

Oketa: For the first time, this issue came to my desk with an official practice, according to which that property belonged to the owners. The practice was complete and they had also made the payment. I had no reason to keep that property in dependency.

SPAK: Who had it in the inventory?

Oketa: I don't remember the exact name of the directorate, but it is a directorate that still exists today.


Oketa: Even today, if you look at the Ministry of Defense website, there is a sector that deals with properties and we still do not have a complete inventory of them. There were military personnel who opposed this issue, but since the response had come from the Council of Ministers, then I gave them the directive to follow all legal procedures in force, as long as the owners had the relevant state documentation. I emphasize once again that there was no interest for the Ministry of Defense.

SPAK: Did you have representatives from the Ministry when the assessment was conducted?

Oketa: I don't remember authorizing any military personnel regarding this matter. It's been 18 years since then, but if you have any documents with my signature, I'm ready to be your god.

The Ministry of Defense had about 12 thousand employees, civilians and military. If you claim that the minister should take care of everything, then the staff should go home. I was among those ministers who signed many delegations of powers. You can also see them in the documents.

SPAK: The order you signed, which charged the Support Command with the delivery of property, are you familiar with any document?

Gazmend Oketa: Every person who had the duty to follow this practice signed and, in the end, the file came to me. After 1990, many properties of the Ministry of Defense turned out to be redundant and were removed from the distribution plan, because the army no longer needed them. In this case, the same practice was followed. It is not the only property that has been returned. As soon as a property is removed from the distribution plan, the state uses it for its own interests, if it has no owners.

Gazmend Oketa: The history of the Ministry of Defense does not begin when I became minister. The property in question, to my knowledge, was outside the distribution plan. I fail to understand the meaning of the claims. General Vladimir Qirjazi gave the order to establish the working group. The issue of registration is not the minister's business.

SPAK: Why did you assign the Support Command and not a representative of the Ministry?

Gazmend Oketa: I did not say "return it to the owners"; that's what the law said. I emphasize to you that the same practice is followed today. The same standard is used, treating the issue with the same seriousness and dedication.

SPAK: Have you met General Vladimir Qirjazi about this issue?

Gazmend Oketa: I will continue to say it to this day: why the Support Command? I am not one of those people who know everything, that is why the minister also has advisors. If the Albanian generals are only there to wear the stars on their shoulders and do not bear any responsibility, then this is their problem. There have been occasional meetings with General Qirjazi. We have been present sometimes with other people and sometimes alone, but I do not understand the meaning of the questions.

Oketa: I ordered the signing in writing. Then, whether Qirjazi had to sign or not, I don't remember. I don't think I told him to sign because that's what I was asked to do. I remember that the only argument was that the property had not been registered. As long as the exchange of letters continued and the general had set up the working group, the order was correct. I don't remember the intensity and tone of the voice. I don't know that, while I was minister, the general had a thorn in his side.

SPAK: Where did you meet Besnik Dervish and how?

Oketa: Mr. Dervishi is a civil engineer. We have known each other through work. After I became a minister, I asked him to become the director of the Cabinet. When he was a director, I don't know if he had any private activities; before and after, yes. Each of my collaborators has kept his place. The personal relationship has not been mixed with the work relationship.

Oketa: I don't remember hearing the name of Jamarbër Malltez as the beneficiary of the property, but whatever it was, it wouldn't be a problem for us. Even if I were in the same situation and faced with the same practice, I would definitely do the same thing. The owners at that time had paid a bill. From March 2008 to September 2009, I was a minister. 


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