Administrative Hearing/ Veliaj: Justice is afraid of transparency

2026-05-09 15:31:14Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Administrative Hearing/ Veliaj: Justice is afraid of transparency

Erion Veliaj

Erion Veliaj has reacted with a public statement regarding the last court session in the administrative process against prosecutor Ols Dado, raising accusations of lack of transparency and violation of the standards of the rule of law.

In the reaction made public by the prison, Veliaj claims that the ban on the live broadcast of the session and the stance of the High Prosecutorial Council indicate attempts to avoid public scrutiny over the legality of the prosecutor's mandate.

Honorable representatives of the media,
During yesterday's session in the administrative process with plaintiff Erion Veliaj and defendant Ols Dado etc., several worrying developments were identified for the standards of the rule of law and transparency of justice in Albania.
Even though the media had installed cameras and the broadcast had started, the court decided to ban the live broadcast of the session and to remove the cameras from the courtroom, relying on an administrative instruction of the High Judicial Council, in violation of the constitutional standard for the transparency of the trial.
Two subjects of the Albanian state were positioned against the presence of cameras: defendant Ols Dado and the High Prosecutorial Council. The argument presented by defendant Dado was that the live broadcast could damage the image and career of the magistrate, since the act of appointment is an individual act. This argument explains precisely why transparency is necessary. In a democratic state, a prosecutor's career is not protected by avoiding public scrutiny over the legality of his mandate, but by publicly proving that that mandate was obtained in accordance with the law. A legal mandate is not afraid of cameras and a fair process is not afraid of the public.
During the trial, a disturbing institutional harmony was also evident between the positions of the two defendants, the High Prosecutorial Council and those of Ols Dado. From the evidence presented by the representative of the KLP itself, it resulted that this institution has never taken a collegial decision on the issues raised by Erion Veliaj. On the contrary, according to what resulted in the hearing, the deputy head of the institution has prevented the case from being sent for review to the collegial body and in the meantime, public impressions have been created as if there is a decision-making by the KLP, when in fact such a decision has not been taken.
The court was also informed that the representative of the KLP had exceeded the scope of institutional authorization, by holding positions on issues on which the institution she represents has never expressed itself. All these facts were presented to the court, including elements that raise serious doubts about serious institutional illegalities. Unfortunately, there was no reaction.
However, one thing became clear to every person present in the room: who demanded transparency and a thorough examination of the truth, and who demanded darkness and the fastest possible closure of the case.
Our position remains unchanged: no one becomes a prosecutor of the Republic of Albania through institutional silence, the passage of time or the avoidance of public and judicial control. If the legal criteria are not met, absolute invalidity is not cured with the passage of years.
We will continue to demand until the end the full verification of the legality of the exercise of this power, because it is not only about a concrete process, but about the very credibility of the rule of law and the integrity of the justice institutions in the Republic of Albania.