The Supreme Court of Albania has rejected the release of Erion Velijai, confirming the decision of the Special Court of Appeal, which imposed the measure of pre-trial detention on him. The decision was issued by a three-member judicial council.
This is the third consecutive court decision to keep the former mayor of Tirana in prison. His requests were previously rejected by both the First Instance Special Court and the Special Court of Appeal, despite his continuous objections and the offer of financial guarantees for his release.
After this new court decision, the question remains open whether the President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, will decide to remove him from the office of mayor of Tirana and call new elections for this position.
Erion Veliaj was arrested on February 10, inside Tirana City Hall, following a year-long investigation by the Special Prosecution Office for the Fight against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). He is charged with passive bribery of high-ranking state or elected officials, repeatedly and jointly (in 9 cases), as well as money laundering of criminal proceeds.
Following the Court of Appeals' decision, an additional charge was added for Veliai, as he allegedly brought illegal items into the temporary detention facility. He was recorded by surveillance using the mobile phone of a prison officer, with whom he was talking while being transported in a cage to the prison.
His wife, who is under restrictive measures and is required to report regularly to the authorities, is also accused in the same Case. she has been charged with the same charges as her husband: passive bribery in 9 cases and money laundering.
The SPAK investigation has shown, according to the evidence so far, that the couple had organized a money laundering network for the purpose of their personal enrichment, through a number of organizations and businesses that were controlled directly or indirectly by themselves or their relatives. The total loss to the State is estimated at at least 1.1 million euros. Veliai allegedly acquired three villas in a tourist village in Kerret, while Jotja (the wife) appears to have spent approximately 800,000 euros on online purchases, amounts that have not been declared in the annual asset declarations.
On May 22, SPAK further burdened the legal position of the Veliai-Djoxha couple by adding a new charge, that of concealment or false declaration of assets, and proceeded to seize another apartment. The property is located on the second floor of the same apartment building where the couple resides in Tirana, a space that had already been searched by the authorities.
Erion Veliaj remains in pretrial detention in Durres prison. From within the prison, with the help of friendly media outlets and social media, he has launched a campaign of public attacks against the prosecutor and the judges in the case, in an apparent attempt to intimidate them, which has so far met with no response.
For his defense, Veliai has hired two international law firms – one in New York and one in London – as well as a British public relations firm.
