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Tried to kill cousin in Italy? Case against Albanian from Kosovo closed

Politiko 2025-05-27 14:12:33

The case against Edmond Balaj for the attempted murder of his cousin Hajdin Kukiqi is closed. The decision was made by investigating judge Carlo Colombo, who accepted the request for archiving submitted by public prosecutor Giovanni Valmassoi.

Despite the numerous suspicions that weighed on the 34-year-old originally from Kosovo, defended by lawyer Alessandra Nava, the detailed investigations of the Prosecution failed to confirm his responsibility for the event that occurred on March 7, 2024 in Chiarano. According to the investigative authorities, the evidence collected is not sufficient to face a criminal trial, and therefore, no further investigations are foreseen – unless new elements emerge in the future.

Incident – On the morning of March 7, Hajdin Kukiqi, 37, a worker at the Lafert company in Noventa di Piave, was shot by two masked men who had approached him on a scooter near his apartment. He was shot in the leg and abdomen, but survived after a complicated surgical intervention at the Treviso hospital.

From the hospital, Kukiqi had told investigators about a series of old disputes with his cousin Edmon Balaj, citing conflicts over property and previous threats. He had stated that Balaj was “the only person with whom he had open issues.” Fearing possible retaliation, he had sent his children to live in Germany with his wife’s parents.

Investigations – Balaj was arrested on 8 May 2024, a few days after returning to Italy from Kosovo. At his apartment in Salgareda, authorities seized a jacket, the bodywork of a scooter, a mobile phone and several bullet casings. The RIS of the Carabinieri of Parma identified traces of gunpowder on his clothing, which matched those on the casings found at the scene.

However, the defense claimed a different version: Balaj, according to them, had frequented a shooting range in Kosovo and gunpowder could have stuck to his clothes during that activity.

Statements and defamation lawsuit – From prison, Balaj denied any involvement in the assassination attempt: "I have nothing to do with the attempted assassination of my cousin. I was not even in Italy at the beginning of March. What has been said about me is serious and false. Whoever spoke in that way must be held accountable." He has filed a defamation lawsuit against Kukiq.

Despite the closure of this investigation, Balaj continues to serve an accumulated sentence of 5 years and 4 months for other criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, personal injury and illegal possession of weapons, dating back to 2014./ Treviso Today /