Gerdeci, manslaughter charges fall

The Gerdeci trial was considered closed at the Court of First Degree by the judge panel headed by Ridvan Hado, Shefkie Demiraj and Fatmira Hajdari. The former Director of MEICO was declared guilty for violating the work regulation, property destruction, power abuse, and found them not guilty for falsifying documents and for power abuse in cooperation. In total he was sentenced with 18 years to a high security prison.

Dritan Minxolli, former director of the ammunition dismantling plant was sentenced with 18 years to prison, and besides violating the working regulation, he was also sentenced for arm production and possession. The MEICO supervisor, Sokol Ngjeci, was sentenced with 10 years to prison for property destruction and power abuse.

The Administrator of Albademil, Mihal Delijorgji, was sentenced with 10 years to prison for violating regulation of explosive materials and he was released from the property destruction charges. The court did not consider the Prosecution’s accusation for manslaughter for any of the defendants.

The highest sentencing for the military men was given to the former Chief of General Staff at the Albanian Army, Luan Hoxha, who was sentenced with 6 years to prison from eight that were requested by the Prosecution, and banned from the right to exert state administration duties for four years. Luan Hoxha has left Albania and is living with his family.

The vice Chief of the General Staff, Agim Lala, was found innocent. The former Chief of the United Forces, Shpetim Spahiu, was sentenced with four years in prison, but according to the Court, this sentence was suspended. The former Commander of the Support Brigade, Zija Bahja, was found not guilty. Rezart Tershana, Adriatic Mema, former General Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Juliana Margariti, Besnik Dauti and Agim Babameto were found not guilty.

The “Albademil” Society was declared guilty and sentenced with 25 million ALL and banned from participating in public procurements for exerting the dismantling permits for the next 10 years. The Court declared that the seized assets will be affected by the Court verdict so that they can be in function of the civil suits of the damaged people.

By the end of the process, Zamira Durda, who has lost her son, Edison, and her father, exploded in accusations against the Court. The desperate woman blocked the Court’s door for several minutes, without letting anyone to get out.

Zamira then attempted to meet the judges that gave the verdict, but was stopped by the security. The court continued with a high presence of the police, which was there to stop any possible reaction by the relatives of the 26 victims that were killed on 15 March 2008.

Top Channel