
Elbasan is a city where some of the most powerful gangs in the country have operated, which have produced some fierce hostilities and intrigues that have led to bloody clashes.
One of the most difficult stories is the one between the Alikaj and Mahmuti families on one side, versus the Çaka and Spahiu families on the other.
In this Wednesday's episode, Inside Story brings the saga of clashes that began with a botched deal in the Spanish drug trade almost 2 decades ago.
For the first time, exclusive testimony from the family of the eliminated Alikaj brothers, as well as from the family of Nel Çami who was completely exterminated.
What do relatives say about the conflict saga and who are the people they accuse...?
Are there other accused participants besides the strong ones who lost their lives?
The questions raised by the family about justice, the suspicious witnesses to the events, and the mystery of Nel Çami's disappearance...
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Until that day, Everest Çaka had maintained a low profile in Elbasan, although in the area he was known as one of the strongmen with a dark past. A mysterious character suspected of murder and involvement in international drug trafficking in Spain and beyond...
The 41-year-old was eliminated in a well-organized assassination attempt that began with the staging of an accident. His car was hit from behind as he tried to leave. At that moment, a barrage of bullets was fired towards Çaka, leaving him dead on the spot. His wife was a witness, who was wounded by a bullet in the arm.
"I saw a man come up to the driver's window and hold a gun in his hands. He shot Everest several times, in the neck and chest. One bullet hit me in the arm."
5 years later, the incident still remains unsolved and the perpetrators were never discovered.
The victim was the cousin of Arjan alias Ardit Spahiu, known by the nickname "Little Arjan". Spahiu was executed in Belgium on November 27, 2020, in the "Molenbeek" neighborhood in Brussels.
But, in addition to the numerous hostilities, the victims Arjan Spahiu and his cousin Everest Çaka have been involved in a conflict for years that has been talked about little or not at all.
A conflict that in Elbasan, they knew well the old enmity between the Alikaj - Mahmuti families on the one hand, and Çaka - Spahiu on the other. This was the reason that after the murder of Everest Çaka, relatives of the Alikaj family were called to the police. This is Vladimir Merxhani, son-in-law in the Alikaj family whose two sons were killed in this clash. Vladimir recounts for the first time the story of the crimes that have remained unsolved while also mentioning specific names that, according to him, can lead to the full truth.
A story that also brings into the whirlwind of information the repentant justice Erjon Alibej, one of the closest people to the late cousins ??Everest Çaka and Arjan Spahiu.…
"I was at home, with the 3 boys and they took me with the 3 boys, I didn't know why I was going to the police, count. They kept me for about 21 hours at the police station, why should I care about Everest Cala, they knew Ladi and Ladi's brothers, why did they suspect me. So I only ask one thing from the police and the prosecution, that justice go where it should and Erjon Alibej come out with those statements of his...", said Vladimir Merxhani, the brother-in-law of the Alikaj brothers.
"I have the impression that the prosecution always asks general questions about the event or the person so that they don't give him reason later to say, 'You didn't ask me about these things.' These are investigative techniques to exhaust this procedural aspect ," said Ermal Yzeiri, a lawyer.
"The statements of a collaborator of justice cannot be selective, if they are selective, there is no longer an agreement, if there is no longer an agreement, he loses his status. The basic element on which the relationship is established, that is, a person receives certain benefits from the relationship, is the fact that it must be true and not selective," said Florian Bonjaku, former Prosecutor.
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Exclusive, family members speak: The murder in Spain of Çaka's brother that brought the tragic series to Elbasan
A seemingly normal conversation between some Albanians turned into a crime scene that day at a gas station called "Los Conejos" in the Tarragona area of ??Barcelona. Two vehicles were parked next to each other. The people in these cars suddenly started an exchange of fire...
The 26-year-old from Elbasan, Alfons Çaka, known by the nickname "Noçe", was found dead at the scene. The victim was alone in the car. A semi-automatic weapon was found next to his body, from which fire had been opened on the killers, who were able to escape unharmed to hide in the Reus (Rojs) area of ??Tarragona.
The victim was the brother of Everest Çaka alias Ibrahim Çaka, executed in 2021 in Elbasan, after being implicated in several criminal events...
The Spanish authorities investigated the crime against Alfonsi on the grounds of money laundering due to the destruction of deals from drug trafficking and prostitution. By digging in this direction, the investigators came across the perpetrator of the crime, citizen Florenc Alikaj alias Fatmir Alikaj known by the nickname "Lenc kokëmadhi". He was an old acquaintance of the victim Çaka.
Vladimir Merxhani, Florenc Alikaj's brother-in-law, speaks for the first time about the genesis of the collision that brought many tragedies later...
"It comes from an early conflict with Noce, Everest Caka's brother, because they called him Noce, they were both collaborating, you know, something like that, and they fought with each other until weapons were used. The connections were known to the two deceased, in particular Nocja and Lenci, what they had, they worked with drugs and the other things they know themselves, but we go by the words of the Spanish justice who worked with drugs," said Vladimir Merxhani, the brother-in-law of the Alikaj brothers.
Florenc Alikaj was arrested on May 20, 2008, in the Tarragona area of ??Spain, 3 months after the murder of Alfons Çaka. He presented himself in the area as a Bulgarian citizen while also carrying a fake Bulgarian passport.
Following the investigation, another well-known name emerged, that of Zenel Mahmuti from Elbasan. This citizen, known by the nickname Nel Çami, was with Florenc Alikaj at the time of the collision that took the life of Alfons Çaka. There are even suspicions that the perpetrator of the murder could be Mahmuti himself. There is evidence that the victim started shooting first at Florenc Alikaj. At that moment, his friend Zenel Mahmuti retaliated, saving Lenci's life. This is thought to have been the reason why Alikaj himself bore the brunt of the crime before the court and Neli bore no criminal responsibility.
"I don't know of anything that Neli has been declared wanted in Spain, however he has been staying there ," said Silvana Omeri, Zenel Mahmut's sister.
This is Silvana Omeri Mahmuti, Nel Çami's sister, who speaks for the first time about the family tragedies and the genesis of the conflict. She provides some interesting information about the Tarragona event that does not even exist in the file of the Spanish authorities...
"According to the words of the brother I talked to as we were talking together, Neli was in a bar eating bread, and his friend Alikaj himself came, told him to get up, we're leaving. He was busy with Caka, they had been talking, and as he got up he got into the car, Caka came and terrorized him with a pistol, the magazine ran out and he put another one in. And Neli shot with all his might, because they were armed, and it was not clear who killed him or who did not kill him, Neli or Lenci...", said Silvana Omeri, Zenel Mahmut's sister.
"Lenci, while refueling, was accompanied to the gas station and was with Zenel Mahmuti. And Nocja was killed," said Vladimir Merxhani, the brother-in-law of the Alikaj brothers.
With the murder in Barcelona, ??the war had just begun between the 3 families in Elbasan. The first response came in the prison cells where Florenc Alikaj was serving his sentence…
"Lenci was sentenced and at the same time when Lenci was sentenced, they also made an attempt on him inside the dungeon, they attacked him with a knife, a spear, but he came out of prison alive... ", said Vladimir Merxhani, the brother-in-law of the Alikaj brothers.
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Elimination of the driver, brother-in-law: He was killed for revenge, the same people came and threatened us!
Ajo do të duhej të ishte fundi i një dite të zakonshme pune për Gëzim Alikaj, 52-vjeçarin nga Elbasani që punonte si shofer autobuzi. Pas orëve të gjata të aktivitetit ditor, në mbrëmje ai drejtohet pranë zyrave të një kompanie transporti ku do të merrte një autorizim për udhëtimin e së nesërmes në Kroaci. Sapo parkon veturën, e gjen veten nën sulmin e armës. Një goditje precize me plumb pas koke nga afër, nuk i dha asnjë mundësi shpëtimi. Alikaj humbi jetën në vend. Ai u gjet i pajetë rreth orës 20.30- 21.00, nga personi me të cilin kishin lënë takim. Nuk dihet se sa kohë kishte aty, por dëshmitari konstatoi vdekjen e shoferit dhe njoftoi policinë menjëherë.
“I vëllai Florenc Alikajt, Gëzimi, i ndjeri i dytë do merte autorizm për ekskursion se punonte shofer autobusi e do shkonte në Kroaci, për ti marë një autorizim një presidenti një firme, kur zbret ky, Riza Hasa, president firme, shikon Gëzimin e kishin vrarë brenda në makinë”, u shpreh Vladimir Merxhani, kunati i vëllezërve Alikaj.
Viktima Alikaj, nuk kishte asnjë lidhje me veprimtari të jashtëligjshme. Ai bënte një jetë normale dhe punonte si shofer për të siguruar jetesën. Familja e lidhe ngjarjen me vrasjen e Alfons Çakës në Barcelonë, ngjarje për të cilën ishte dënuar i vëllai i viktimës. Kjo do të ishte edhe pista kryesore e organeve hetimore…
“Mua nuk më thërriti prokuroria e Elbasanit për këtë vrasjen e Gëzimit, prokuroria mori vetëm të atin e Gëzimit, ai ishte 79-vjec, nga veshët nuk dëgjonte mirë, dhe e mbajtën thuajse 6 orë, e morën në pyetje dhe e nxorën, e cuan në shtëpi. Kjo u bë vetëm për hakmarrje ndaj Florenc Alikës”, u shpreh Vladimir Merxhani, kunati i vëllezërve Alikaj
“Indiciet përbëjnë shkak që të rihapen çështjet, dhe përherë prokuroria duhet shtrijë hetimet për të vërtetën e plotë, pra edhe çështje që konsiderohen të lidhura”, u shpreh Ermal Yzeiri, avokat.
Sot e kësaj dite, ngjarja ka mbetur pa autor me gjithë informacionet e forta që të afërmit kanë dhënë në Policinë e Elbasanit ndër vite. Madje, familjarët e viktimës flasin për presione të hapura fill pas krimit mafioz ndaj Gëzimit.
“Kanë ardhur edhe para shpisë time, te stacioni trenit, lagja hekurudha, dhe kanë pyetur ku e ka shpinë Ladi Lytit, po tre këta persona dhe një i katërt që nuk njihej, po atë natë që vranë Gëzimin”, u shpreh Vladimir Merxhani, kunati i vëllezërve Alikaj.
Për këto presione, bëjnë përgjegjës të njëjtët njerëz. Madje, Merxhani flet edhe për mesazhe të tërthorta që i kanë shkuar familjes së tij nga persona të njohur me familjen në hasmëri.
“Kam qenë një ditë në Bradashesh, e më tha një miku im, ai ka vdekur sot me mbiemër Skura, Lad tha, -këto kishin lidhje fmailje me Everest Cakën e Arjan Spahiun se janë cuna teze. Lad hapi sytë tha se do të vrasin cunat ty, i thashë s”ka pse se i kam rritur me edukatë..”, u shpreh Vladimir Merxhani, kunati i vëllezërve Alikaj
"The state has the obligation that when there are suspicions that there may be events that could lead to revenge, it must control the territory in points where there is a heated conflict. The lack of the possibility of interrupting the conflict means that the state's measures have not been at the right level to prevent these events," said Florian Bonjaku, former prosecutor.
After Gëzim's murder, almost all of the other relatives left Elbasan for fear of hostility. The only one who remained is the family's son-in-law, Vladimiri, who has been struggling for years at the doors of justice to shed light on the events.
"The other sisters left immediately, the funeral was held, Gëzim left. I sent my father-in-law, he was disabled, a man who, how can I say, the neighborhood had respect for him, I took him 4 times, and they followed him, and when he left on the last day, he only said one thing to me: Lad, I have you in Gëzim's place, only the authors have to come on stage. I told him: Hamza, I am suffering a lot with your daughter, they will come on stage and this conversation is over, this one's legacy..." , said Vladimir Merxhani, the brother-in-law of the Alikaj brothers.