The Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) has confiscated today some assets of the deputy of Berat district, Kasëm Mahmutaj.
The black platoon of the Special decided to confiscate 2 immovable properties, land, 1 vehicle and apartments owned by the deputy, on suspicion that they originate from criminal activity.
Mahmutaj is the first MP of the Republic of Albania whose property is confiscated. The assets were confiscated at the request of SPAK as Kasemi is the brother of Gazmend Mahmutaj, subject to OFL.
With the suspicion that the assets originate from criminal activity, the Special Court has confiscated a total of 22 assets, which are owned by Gazmend Mahmutaj, family or friendly and social ties of this subject.
But who is Gazmend Mahmutaj?
Operation Force of Law sent the declaration form to Mahmutaj on February 18, 2020.
He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking and exploitation of prostitution in Italy.
Gazmend Mahmutaj is the brother of Kasem Mahmutaj, nominated by the Republican Party in the 2007 local elections and in 2015 for mayor of Berat. Kasem Mahmutaj has been the director of the largest military industry facility in Poliçan, being at the same time the leader of the Republican Party in Berat since March 2008.
Gazmend Mahmutaj was convicted of drug trafficking and prostitution. Related to his name was also the leader of the Republican Party, Fatmir Mediu, who was sentenced in Italy to 3 years in prison and banned from holding state positions on charges of "supporting the incriminated", as according to the Court of Appeals in Milan, with a decision of April 23, 2000, Mediu, on behalf of the Albanian parliament, has favored the wanted by the Italian justice, namely Gazmend Mahutaj, to transit from our country to the neighboring country with a false name (Raqi Gjoni). For this event, at that time, Fatmir Mediu declared that he had been acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court.
Më 18 nëntor 1998, Gazmend Mahmutaj, një personazh i njohur i botës së krimit në Berat, ishte duke kaluar tranzit në aeroportin ”Malpensa” në Milano bashkë me një grup parlamentarësh shqiptarë. Deputetët shkonin në Parlamentin Evropian për një mbledhje për krimin e organizuar. Mahmutaj, e dinte që ishte në kërkim nga autoritetet italiane, ndaj duke përfituar nga miqësia me kryetarin e PR-së, thotë drejtësia italiane, – Fatmir Mediu kishte siguruar dokumente të falsifikuara me emrin Raqi Gjoni.
The trial panel in Italy, in the First Instance and the Court of Appeals, had concluded that Mediu had helped Mahmutaj evade Italian justice by not serving his sentence. Mediu was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison and after the summary trial procedure, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. But Mediu himself said that he has received innocence from the Supreme Court and that this case has no room for allusions.