Court frees “Vergine” oil drivers

17/05/2011 15:55

Tirana Court freed the six drivers accused as collaborators in the
“Vergine” oil scandal denounced by the former Energy Minister Dritan
Prifti. After being left in prison also by the Court of Appeal for the
charges of fraud, falsification of official documents and of hiding
criminal products, the accused appeared in front of Judge Blerina Muça
with the demand of changing the security measures.

The drivers pretended through their lawyer, Leonard Gremi, that they had nothing to do with the “Vergine” oil smuggle, since they were simple truck drivers. The court had freed earlier the two accused businessmen, Bajram and Martin Fisheku, while the six drivers and the businessmen Hajri Elezi and Iliaz Fisheku, together with two Customs officials remained under custody.

The businessman Hajri Elezi also addressed the Supreme Court for changing the security measures. The operation for the scandal of “Vergine” oil was held this March, after the investigations of the Economic-Financial Crime Department. According to the prosecutors, these investigations proved that in the period 2007-2009, considerable amounts of a sub-product of crude oil mixed with processed oil have been illegaly sold all over Albania as clean oil.

After these arrests, the General Prosecution declared on a press release that this illegal activity was realized by “Euroil”, partner of Hajri Elezi and in collaboration with the private firm “Fisheku”, in partnership with Iliaz Fisheku.

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