The Berat Court today issued security measures for the three arrested people suspected of placing 21 tons of mandarins banned for sale on the market after they had returned from Croatia due to pesticides.
Collector Arben Dyli, farmer Elton Tafa, and state inspector Elson Tahiraj have been sentenced to "prison arrest."
The court session began at 1:00 PM and ended at 4:00 PM with judge Ilirjan Hysa and prosecutor Malvina Pëllumbi presiding.
During the hearing, defense lawyers called the arrested victims of a competitive trade war aimed at harming local merchants.
Even Arben Dyl's defense lawyer cast doubt on the veracity of the Croatian state's analyses.
While in his speech, exporter Arben Dyli stated that he was not aware that the AKU had to be notified after the product was returned, but he notified farmers, one from Goriçan and one from Saranda, to take back the mandarin product.
Farmer Elton Tafa stated before the court that he was wronged by the AKU after, according to him, it informed him that the mandarins were rotten and threw them in the Dimal landfill.
"It broke my heart when I threw it away because it was my sweat," Elton Tafa is reported to have said.
Tafa had argued with Dylin because he suspected that the returned tangerines were not his, but he still took it for granted and threw them in the trash.
Despite the defense and statements of the arrested, the court imposed a prison sentence on the three suspects.