Special court reopens case against former defense minister for deadly blast in Gerdec armament plant

24/09/2021 15:10

The Special Court of Appeals for Corruption and Organized Crime has accepted the complaint of the special prosecution SPAK for the former Minister of Defense Fatmir Mediu, as responsible for the explosion at the weapons dismantling plant in Gerdec where 26 people were killed

The  investigation against Mediu was suspended but SPAK appealed the 2009 decision arguing that the then legal obstacles were no longer valid.

Investigations into Mediu start at the request of the parents of 7-year-old Erison Durdaj, one of the victims of the explosion.

The former defense minister was never tried for the serious incident, and no witnesses were called to the trial, which involved a large number of people, from the military to businessmen engaged in dismantling ammunition at the infamous plant.

One year after the explosion, in March 2009, the General Prosecutor’s Office filed charges of “Abuse of duty” committed in collaboration, and “Abuse of duty” in collaboration with a military entity-commanding staff, “taking the case to the Supreme Court.

But 6 months later, the Criminal College of this Court decided to dismiss the case, given that in August of that year, Mr. Mediu had regained the mandate of deputy, thus regaining immunity.

The General Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, no longer asked the parliament to lift the immunity of Mr. Mediu, and thus, the file was never reopened.

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