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Nepotism, corruption and tenders/ How did Veliaj change his position a year later for the arrested directors of the municipality?

Politiko 2024-04-09 09:20:57

Nepotism, corruption and tenders/ How did Veliaj change his position a year

The scandal with the "5D" file forced the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, to come out publicly to excuse himself from the corruption and abuses of the directors of his municipality.

Initially, Veliaj distanced himself from the arrests by playing the role of 'victim' with the argument that he did not know about the affairs of his 2023 electoral staff, and by releasing them alone before justice.

"Any individual who is involved in these issues must face justice on his own, stripped of any other type of protection, except legal protection from his own lawyers" , declared Veliaj.

But, the wave of arrests in the Municipality of Tirana, forced Veliaj to change his stance on the accusations of nepotism that the member of the Presidency of the Democratic Party and at the time former candidate for mayor in Tirana, Belind Kelliçi, threw in April 2023, when he discovered facts that Mariglen Qato had employed family members in the municipality.

At that time, Veliaj, from the "Opinion" studio, called Kelliç's accusation a big lie, but did not hesitate to distance himself in any case, saying that "how does anyone hold the torch".

"I have been informed about the case and a charge of defamation has been submitted to the prosecutor's office. For these cases. I take everyone to the prosecutor's office. And as long as all the procedures of who works where, who has separated with whom, who is whose father-in-law, I do not hold the torch, but as long as the people of the municipality take all the slanders to the prosecutor's office, I will wait for the court". Veliaj said at the time.

Yesterday, invited to "Top Story" while talking about the arrests in the Municipality of Tirana, Veliaj changed the chorus. Asked by Robert Rakipllari what he had done as mayor about the charges brought against his directors, Veliaj said that it is up to the courts to verify the charges.

Rakipllari: On April 27, 2024, Mr. Kelliçi filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office and made these facts public, and the prosecutor's office certified a part of them. From this moment, you as mayor, what administrative measures have you taken? Do you have an audit unit, have you verified these tenders and why haven't you taken them to the prosecutor's office?

Veliaj: We took them. Record cooperation with the prosecution. It turns out that we are the institution of record that returns answers and not a half-hearted and tricked answer, but full answers, even more than necessary. The zeal for cooperation is something that should not be questioned at all. The totally absent political cover is something that should not be questioned at all. And therefore it is the court that certifies these. If you look today, there are endless accusations from the opposition, but if you look until today, most of them have been dismissed or closed as cases because they were untrue. So this is decided by the court. If this is true, they will receive the deserved punishment, if it is untrue and unproven, they will be rehabilitated.