53 million, Prosecution Seeks Maximum Sentence for Pal Lekaj and others

Special Prosecutor Valdet Gashi, in the final address, has demanded the maximum sentence for indictees Paul Lekaj, Eset Berisha, Negoti Shatri and Besim Tahiri, in the well-known case of “53 million qe”. The defendants' defence, on the other hand, sought the release of indictees from the prosecution.

We request the Court that the defendants be found guilty of criminal acts that the indictment charges, to punish them with the maximum sentence for criminal work in question”, said prosecutor Gashi during the completion of the final word.

Prosecutor Gashi said that by material evidence, but also the hearing of witnesses, it has unequivocally been proven that the four accused committed the criminal act they are charged with, reports “Justice Vow”.

Gashi said that even in spite of the opinion possession of the management company of the <x0c> Xhaferi” highway construction project, “Hill International”, is the procedure with the payment of 53 million.

According to the prosecutor, agreements on this case have been signed on extending the completion of jobs without additional costs.

He says that unequivocally the subjective or objective element that the element of co-ordination exists among the four accused.

After prosecutor Gashi, Lekaj's defender, lawyer Musa Damati, in final words continued. He said the final authority for realising the 53 million pay has been the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.

According to him, Lekaj is not a signatory of the basic contract for the construction of the “Arba Xhaferi” highway.

“on this issue, decision-making has been a college and not an individual”, Damati said.

Hence, Damatti finally proposed to the court to issue a legal ruling on Lekat.

Even attorney Florent Latifaj said that his defense, Negoti Shatri, is not responsible for any of his actions or points of indictment, adding that the same man has acted in the context of the law.

Lawyer Latifaj said that with the act of signing from Shatri, a good Kosovo has become a good one, managing to complete the highway. He has proposed to the court to declare a free trial against Shatri.

The accused Shatri said even if he had not signed the deal to prolong the completion of the work again he would be accused of signing, so he said that by his actions the road has managed to complete.

Berisha's protector, lawyer Africa Salihu, also said his client must prove innocent based on material evidence attached to the accuser act and excusing evidence proposed by his defence.

Also, Salihu said the accused Berisha had only the quality of political adviser without enjoying executive rights, where at the end the same demanded that the accused be acquitted.

Berisha's other defender, lawyer Teuta Xhema, said that with no single proof the Special Prosecution has managed to prove the prosecution is based, proposing to the court to finally issue a free trial for its client.

The accused Berisha said the 53 million payments were made due to the neglect of past governments, by not sharing enough budgetary means for a major project such as building the “Arboni Xhaferi” highway.

All in the end, Tahiri's defender, lawyer Urim Vokshi, also issued the final word, who said his client is accused of violating rules that are known to have been adopted.

Vokshi said Tahiri is innocent since the prosecution's prosecution charges his client with acting in opposition to “state” and “the rule of courtesy” of the Interministerial Committee. But according to lawyer Vokshi, it cannot be confirmed whether this statute was adopted.

In the end, lawyer Vokshi proposed to the court that Tahiri be acquitted of the prosecution after the prosecution has failed to prove that the same is involved in carrying out the criminal work it is being charged with.

The trial was then announced by Judge Violet Naman.

According to the indictment filed on 4 February 2022 by the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo, Paul Lekaj, in the quality of the Ministry of Infrastructure Minister (MI), Eset Berisha, his top political adviser, Nebis Shatri, as secretary-general in this ministry, in co-operation and deliberately and even with defendant Besim Tahiri, director of Public Procurement in MI, are accused of misusing official office with the case of dividing 53m euros for the consortium <x1Betel &Enka <2>>, for construction of the Pristina highway Hanez or otherwise known as the <x>Arferi <3feri <3).