TIRANA, July 28 – The lawyer of the former deputy prime minister, Arben Ahmetaj, has appealed the measure of arrest and imprisonment imposed on his client some time ago. Lawyer Henrik Ligori submitted the request seeking annulment of the decision of GJKKO on Friday.
The former number two of the Rama government is accused of refusal to declare, concealment or false declaration of assets, passive and active corruption of high state officials and laundering the proceeds of a criminal offense. According to Albanian penal code, these criminal offenses are punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Currently, Ahmetaj has been declared as an international wanted man, meanwhile, as it is reported, he is in London, but there is hearsay that he is in Canada, which does not have an extradition agreement with Albania.
In another event, former SP Secretary General, Damian Gjiknuri, officially handed over the task of the party’s number two, Blendi Klos on Friday, two days after the Assembly dismissed the entire executive secretariat of the party.
“Personally, I do not feel any kind of abandonment, I am in constant communication with the chairman of the party (Edi Rama), I have a constant relationship with the chairman of the party for 15-20 years, I respect his decision-making. For me, the end of something can be the beginning of something new,” said Gjiknuri
Gjiknuri rejected any accusation of the opposition as being involved in the Elbasan incinerator case, as he said that he remains open to any investigation by SPAK.
The senior SP official, Blendi Klosi, who will act as Secretary General until the Extraordinary Congress is held, when asked if Ahmetaj would be expelled from the Socialist Party, gave this answer: “It is a question that belongs to the parliamentary group and new party congress. Probably we will have the extraordinary Congress in September of this year where all the decisions will be made.” /argumentum.al
