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Former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri was sentenced to three years and four months in prison by the Special Court of Appeals for Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) on Friday.
This was announced by the Court, and found itself between two fires: the special prosecutors authority for serial crimes (SPAK) demanded 12 years in prison, while Tahiri himself sought innocence.
According to the appeal of the GJKKO, the connection of Saimir Tahiri with Moisi and Artan Habilaj has been confirmed.
The trial panel stated that according to the acts, it turned out that Tahiri had violated the interests of the state through the favors given to the Habilajs. He also had incorrect contacts with Moisi Habilaj’s brother, Artan.
He unfocused the task because he received gifts from the criminal group Habilaj. According to the ruling, he will go to jail because the decision has been given in the final form.
Below is the full text of the decision: “It is communicated in a concise manner that, today on 04.02.2022, in the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime, the decision on the case no. 47 basic register, dated 24.11.2021 registration, in charge of the defendants S.T. and J.Ç., where the panel of the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime decided to uphold Decision no. 60, dated 19.09.2019 of the Court of First Instance for Serious Crimes in Tirana, with the following change:
-Failure to apply Article 59 of the Criminal Code for the defendant Mr. S.T .; Serving the imprisonment sentence for the defendant Mr. S.T. starts from the day of execution of this decision and is carried out in an ordinary security prison.”
Witnesses who were present in the court’s hall said that when the ruling was declared Tahiri showed nervousness and irritation and anger. The former minister was tense and obviously did not expect that decision. At the time the decision was given, he was allowed to use a phone call, without specifying with whom he talked. Tahiri came out with handcuffs in his hands to go to the detention facility.
It remains to be seen whether the former interior minister, one of the most authoritative figures in the government of PM Edi Rama, will take the case to the High Court.
The presence of police forces was observed to remain on alert depending on the decision of the trial panel. / Argumentum.al
