Prosecutor Xhevahir Lita was arrested for corruption and organized crime during the operation codenamed "Metamorphosis" in July 2023 and a few days later was suspended from office by decision of the High Prosecutorial Council, KLP.
However, the Independent Qualification Commission continued to invest in conducting its own vetting process, concluding the preliminary administrative investigation only with findings on the purity of the figure.
On Wednesday 4 September, the Commission held a hearing and announced the decision on Lite, who although not present, was represented by the lawyer Arben Nela.
The vetting process for Lite was conducted by the KPK corps headed by Suela Zhegu, with rapportor Roland Ilian and member Genta Tafa Bungon. As an international observer, Marie Tuma was present.
During operation "Metamorphosis", based on information brought by the French justice, along with Litë were detained the businessman Dove Gjoka, declared by the government "Rama" as a strategic investor and two senior state police chiefs, while many others suspected of involvement in murder, hijacking, trafficking, corruption, counterfeiting were announced in search, non-licensed weapons and other criminal offences committed in the form of a criminal structure group.
The Ilia Relator clarified among other things that the initial report of the National Authority for the Security of Classified Information, AKSIK had initially submitted a positive report to prosecutor Xhevahir Lita, considering him fit to continue the task, in terms of the purity of the figure.
Following the KPK request for updating the data on the Lite, AKSIK has changed the conclusion to consider that it is inadequate. The change in the findings is based on data provided by the prosecution and the court of special jurisdiction, regarding the criminal case against a criminal organization, which is accused of belonging to Lita, which charges corruption and organized crime.
Based on data provided in the encrypted or secure applications SKY and EnchroChat, SPAK accuses SPAK of receiving money in exchange for investigative information on persons involved in organized crime, and directing them on how to make statements to the police. According to Ilias, there are suspicions that Prosecutor Lita was part of the criminal group and consequently it is found lack of integrity, that there are inappropriate contacts and that it has violated the public trust.
The lawyer Nela brought to the attention that AKSIK initially deposited positive report. For the second report he underlined that it was drafted during 2020-2021, which does not belong to the period of declaration of the figure, 2012-2017. According to Nela, the second report is beyond legal deadlines and is therefore unstable in evidence and law, as it has come as a result of the SPAK proceedings. Nela also noted that the object of control are the statements and according to him, Nela has filled in the form for the figure correctly.
According to the lite representative, the criminal investigation is at the stage when the request for trial of SPAK is expected to be reviewed and that the protected person is innocent. He brought to the attention of the European Court of Justice's decision, arguing that for the interceptions of SKY and EnchroChat, that court said it was about telecommunications interceptions, not evidence documents. Nela added that the European Court of Justice has argued that these wiretaps should be ignored unless evidence is clearly commented on.
Nela said there is no measure of punishment against Lita and asked for the investigation of property and professionalism to be re-opened.
The Ilia Relator brought to the attention that the Commission had previously struck down such a request. Regarding the presumption of innocence, Ilia stressed that the trial is an administrative process and not a criminal one. After the KPC's body withdrew, it unanimously decided to remove prosecutor Xhevahir Lita from office, a decision announced on Wednesday at 16:00.