
The Special Prosecutor's Office has sent four people accused of vote buying in the 2021 parliamentary elections to GJKKO for trial.
According to SPAK, the corrupt scheme consists of an organized model of vote buying, where individuals associated with a political force have offered certain amounts of money (about 5,000 lek per vote) to various citizens, in order to secure electoral support. This has been achieved either through the direct giving of money for one's vote, or through the engagement of third parties to influence other voters.
SPAK ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (Special Prosecutor's Office) has completed the preliminary investigations and has submitted to the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime the request for sending the case for trial, of the criminal proceeding no. 117 of 2021 with a guilty plea agreement in charge of four defendants, Accused of the following criminal offenses:
Ndoc Guri and Arben Kolaj, accused of the criminal offense "Passive corruption in elections", provided for by Article 328/b of the Criminal Code;
Ndrekë Lera and Ilir Sokoli, accused of the criminal offense "Active corruption in elections", committed in cooperation, provided for by articles 328 and 25 of the Criminal Code.
From the analysis of the evidence collected in the framework of this investigation, it results that during the parliamentary elections of April 25, 2021, a clear scheme of electoral corruption was found, which included the provision of monetary rewards in exchange for votes.
The corrupt scheme consists of an organized model of vote buying, where individuals connected to a political force have offered certain amounts of money (about 5,000 lek per vote) to various citizens, in order to secure electoral support. This has been achieved either through the direct giving of money for one's vote, or through the engagement of third parties to influence other voters.
During the investigations, special investigative tools were used, including telephone tapping, which identified that the citizen Ndrekë Lera had a central role in this criminal activity, being directly involved in conversations related to the promise and organization of payments for votes in favor of a political entity.
For the above, from the entirety of the investigations carried out, based on the evidence obtained during the preliminary investigations, transcripts of telephone tappings, statements of suspected citizens as well as after studying the administered documentation, it results that citizens Ndreke Lera and Ilir Sokoli, with their actions, have consumed elements of the criminal offense "Active corruption in elections" committed in cooperation, provided by Articles 328 and 25 of the Criminal Code. Also, the defendants Ndoc Guri and Arben Kolaj have consumed the elements of the criminal offense "Passive corruption in elections" provided for by Article 328/b of the Criminal Code.