Today, at the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (SCOC), two important preliminary hearings are taking place, one for former President Ilir Meta and the other for former Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj.
At 9:00, a hearing will be held on the "Meta" file, where in addition to him, defendants are Monika Kryemadhi, her mother Fatime Kryemadhi, as well as Pirro Xhixho and Ema Çoku. The previous hearing was postponed due to the lawyers' boycott. The judge in the case, Irena Gjoka, is expected to decide today whether the file will go to trial or be returned for further investigation.
SPAK has merged the investigations into the CEZ-DIA affair, the SMI lobbying in the US and the property investigation into one case. Meta and Kryemadhi are accused of passive corruption, money laundering and failure to declare assets, while Fatime Kryemadhi and Ema Çoku are accused of money laundering. Pirro Xhixho is accused of passive corruption of high-ranking officials.
Meanwhile, at 10:00, the GJKKO will hold the preliminary hearing for the “Veliaj” file. In addition to former Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj and his wife Ajola Xoxa, 28 other individuals and companies have been named as defendants in this file, including former socialist MP Klotilda Bushka.
According to SPAK, Veliaj is accused of nine episodes of corruption, money laundering, failure to declare assets, abuse of office and bringing prohibited items into the cell, while Xoxa is accused of passive corruption, money laundering and concealment of income. Bushka is accused of actions that hinder the discovery of the truth.
Veliaj is also facing a legal battle with the government, following his dismissal from the post of mayor of Tirana on September 25. He has appealed the decision to the Constitutional Court, which has suspended the effects of the dismissal and blocked the holding of early elections in Tirana, pending a ruling from the country's highest court.
Both hearings are expected to determine whether the "Meta" and "Veliaj" files will proceed to trial or be returned for further investigation.