"I expected to be arrested", Artan Hoxha after SPAK's measure: Veliaj "warned" him from a TV show

Journalist Artan Hoxha has spoken about SPAK's investigations against him accused of two criminal offences, for which he has also assigned the security measure "obligation to appear".

Invited to MCN, Hoxha said that he had been notified before, and even had information that he could be arrested.

He stated that he has many enemies who want him in prison, also mentioning Erion Veliaj as a person who "warned" him from a TV show.

"I am in the 30th year of my work as a journalist. I did not have a good relationship with the owners, I was never a leader, editor-in-chief, director, I was on the street. I had the idea that they would hit me and when they hit me they would use all the means to ruin the public image, to destroy, to become untrustworthy, to reject everything that I have done so far.

I knew how many enemies I have, I made a lot of army, left, right, in the center. The day my apartment was searched, they took everything from me, tablet, ipad, dvr, everything, there is a record of 17-18 items. The archive of my work of 30 years... I had a house for rent and I didn't even have the chance to save it. The first news that came out, I had not seen, because I had no means of communication, the news was that I had been arrested.

I was expected to be arrested myself, that's what I was told. I was on the boulevard. The former Prime Minister Berisha, who broke the news, was arrested first, which is understandable, I have fought for 30 years with Mr. Berisha. Then, government media, near the City Hall and near the government. They thought they would arrest me. Ishan you know before, maybe to withdraw and leave, I was informed that I was going to be arrested.

I haven't been asked at all. My last communication with SPAK was on October 3 of this year and I was at SPAK and I believe that this hindered them. Erion Veliaj warned me on the show of December 14, 2023. He was invited on another TV, he said "journalists who are known to be connected to crime and who appear in SKY ECC conversations". I was here on the show and I responded. They were messages that were coming out slowly. I have said several times that they are waiting to arrest me. The people say, if you shoot high, the blow comes high.

Why wasn't action taken until October 3, when I was in SPAK? I have been called for the January 21 tape. If I didn't submit it, it would be postponed. I gave four hours of testimony and said who should be questioned about January 21.

These days, I have heard so much rampant fantasy, even of some who claim to be fathers of journalism, who presume innocence, these are not even evidence, they are suspicions, I am not a defendant but a person under investigation. These were treated as real evidence and I am an organized crime boss.

They were deliberately brought out to prove what I had done, as if I had conspired against the prime minister of the country.

So the idea was created that I was one of the main people of the organization, I have talked and talk to all the people of the underworld to get information that lead me to the most important politicians of this country. I am neither for tenders, nor for corruption, nor do I have the Rolling Hills villa, I work for Fresku.

I was notified and that's why Mr. Veliaj knew, the investigation has been going on for a year and a half. This organization has a lot of issues out there. Suel Cela is the one with the golden bullet. Ervis Martinaj, who is no longer alive, and Suel Cela, that's where this story begins,"  said Hoxha.