The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution known as SPAK in Albania has requested a sentence of 12 years in prison for former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, a statement by the prosecution authority said on Monday.
Along with the request, the last session on this controversial case will be held on February 4 at 13:00, the day when the final decision on Tahiri will be made.
The same sentence was requested for the former director of the Vlora Police, Jaeld Çela. Meanwhile, former Minister Tahiri pleaded not guilty. But due to the shortened trial, SPAK has requested 8 years in prison for the former officials.
The prosecution had earlier charged Tahiri with drug trafficking and demanded his arrest, but the Socialist parliamentary majority blocked the request for arrest and attacked the prosecution’s investigation as biased.
Tahiri was acquitted of charges of drug trafficking and structured criminal group in September 2019, but was sentenced by the Serious Crimes Court to 5 years in prison for abuse of office, a sentence which was converted to 3.4 years due to shortened trial.
His Socialist ‘comrades’ tried hard to protect Tahiri against the charges trying to clean him from the accusations making use of different schemes portraying him as not guilty.
After Monday’s session at SPAK the former minister was cut and short telling the media that he ‘is waiting’ for the final ruling. / Argumentum.al
