The trial against the socialist mayor of Vau i Dejës, Kristian Shkreli, accused of electoral corruption, is underway at the Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime.
SPAK has requested the summoning of 27 witnesses to the trial, who were previously questioned as declarants during the preliminary investigation phase.
The investigations began after a material referred by the General Directorate of the State Police, as well as a report made by a municipality employee. Both of these materials were merged into a single criminal proceeding.
SPAK prosecutor Dritan Prençi stated that special methods were used during the investigation, including wiretapping and surveillance. According to the indictment, Kristian Shkreli promised investments to the residents of the village of Stajkë for the repair of the electricity line, asking for votes for the Social Democratic Party in return, writes VoxNews.
It is learned that SPAK's investigations began on March 20, over a month before the parliamentary elections of May 11, 2025.
On the other hand, the mayor's lawyer, Rovena Gashi, rejected the accusations, emphasizing that in all investigative actions, including communications and wiretapping, there is no evidence that the defendant committed a criminal offense.
"We do not agree with the accusation, in all the actions, communications and interceptions, there are 500 pages and there is not a single moment that indicates that the defendant Kristian Shkreli has committed any criminal offense. The Mayor was called by the residents of the village of Stajkë themselves, Kristian Shkreli did not pick up. It is about heavy rainfall that had damaged the line. The complaint was sent by the residents themselves to the co-government portal, she stated.
The lawyer argued that the procedure for the repair of the electric poles was not opened by the mayor, but by the OSSH, emphasizing that it is not a new investment, but a technical adjustment. According to her, the mayor's role was only to convey the concerns of citizens to the OSSH director and in no case did he seek votes for any political entity.