The lawyers of the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and his wife, Ajola Xoxa, have reacted to a decision by the Special Court to seize property in a building in the Selita area.
In a statement to the media, legal representatives emphasize that Veliaj and Xoxa are not the owners of the seized property, nor do they have any property or legal connection with the company "AK" shpk, the subject against which the seizure measure has been imposed.
According to them, Ajola Xoxa's apartment, where the couple resides, was created before the marriage and has never been the subject of investigation or seizure by any law enforcement authority.
"We emphasize that it is within the legal right of the prosecution to conduct investigations, but the suspicions raised must be based on concrete facts and verifiable evidence, in respect of the principle of the presumption of innocence and the fundamental rights of the individual," the statement says.
The lawyers also add that the assets declared by Veliaj and Xoxa are in accordance with applicable legislation, both before and after the marriage, and that they have always been cooperative with the institutions.
The statement closes with an apology to the other residents of the building, emphasizing that "the couple's only 'fault' is that they live in the same building" with the property that has been seized.