Gërdeci trial, generals testify

06/05/2011 16:30

Former vice commander of the General Army Headquarters, General Agim
Lala, today commander of the Training Doctrine, has appeared for the
first time in court to testify in the Gerdeci trial, since he is one of the 28 accused people for the tragedy that happened in March 15th 2007 in Gerdec, 11 km from Tirana, when a military dismantling plant exploded and killed more than 27 workers, several of them underaged children, and wonded more than 100.

General Agim Lala answered to the prosecutors Altin Dumani, Genci Qano and Petrit Bici for his role in signing a memo about the military police escorting private transport vehicles that carried ammunition from Gerdeci to customs, and also for another memo that transferred the ammunition to the MEICO enterprise.

The general confirmed of having signed the documents following the procedures, but he declared that he had no knowledge for the actions that had been carried out regarding Gerdeci documentations.

Lala said that the documents were signed in a routine and bureaucratic way, since they were sent by his superior, former Chief of General Army Headquarters, General Luan Hoxha, who is also under investigation. Lala said that Hoxha had given a written order saying “to be signed today by Agim Lala”. The prosecutors asked the general if he had information that the ammunition was being dismantled in Gerdec, and Lala replied that officially he knew nothing, but as a common citizen, he was aware the same way other officials were informed.

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