Artan Tafani, the penitent of the crimes of Laert Haxhiu's group in Lushnja, has shown that he committed the murder of Elton Mermal together with Lulzim Spahiu alias Arapi, while he received the order from Laert Haxhiu.
Tafani explained to the investigation team that Laert Haxhiu wanted the execution of Elton Mermali, because Mermali was part of Aldo Bare's gang and in 1998, he had participated in the murder of Bledar Haxhiu and Artan Sulçe in the area of " Plasmas" in Lushnja.
According to the prosecutor's colleague, "Laert Haxhiu has asked us more insistently to kill Mermali in October, since in this month he was killed by Mermali and Haxhiu's cousin in Lushnja".
In fact, Bledar Haxhiu and Artan Sulçe were executed on the morning of October 23, 1998, when they were both traveling in an off-road vehicle.
But at an intersection near the former plasma factory, they were waiting for Petri Liçi, Erjon Kashari and Elton Mermali, who opened fire with a Kalashnikov, leaving them both dead.
According to the investigation file of the conviction of Elton Mermal, it is said that Edjan Xhafaj and Dritan Vila approached the two victims with pistols and gave them the safety bullet.
This event that happened 23 years ago has caused Laert Haxhiu to take revenge, asking for the honor killing of the two killers of his group, Lulzim Spahiu and Artan Tafani.
The latter, now repentant, claimed that he did not receive any money for this murder and that he did everything in honor of his friend Laert Haxhiu.
"...we had learned that Mermali had come out of prison and was drinking heroin with some boys from the neighborhood, but also with me. That day I was wearing a black boxer vest. I knew Mermal early and he was a heroin user. Having information that he wanted to drink heroin, I lied to him by telling him that I have hidden heroin somewhere, let's go get it and drink it. Mermali admitted that on the evening of June 13, 2021, I drove to his neighborhood. As soon as he saw me, he got into the car himself and then I headed towards the road that leaves Lushnja. That evening I also took Lulzim Arapi with me, who was part of the plan made with Laert Haxhiu. We went to Peqin, and on the edge of a wall we went to some brambles, lying to Mermal that the heroin was there. It was all a sham. In the search to find heroin, Mermali himself was involved, who just lowered his head to see if he had heroin, I shot him in the back of the head. One bullet to the head and two to the body, to make sure he was dead. Then we left, leaving his body there among the brambles... while after the event we also notified Laert Haxhiu",said the associate of the Prosecution, Artan Tafani.
For this murder, the prosecutor's office of Elbasan has arrested Laert Haxhiu, Lulzim Spahina and Artan Tafani as executors. Three people have been charged with "premeditated murder" carried out in collaboration and "unlicensed possession of weapons".