The former mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, is expected to leave his cell for a few hours tomorrow to appear at the Constitutional Court, where his appeal against his dismissal from office, as well as President Begaj's decree announcing by-elections in Tirana, will be reviewed.
Meanwhile, a few hours before this session, lawyer Jordan Daci announced that he has withdrawn from the legal defense he was expected to provide to the former mayor in this Court.
Through a post on social media, Daci declares that he has withdrawn from the case, because he claims to have a conflict of interest.
"In response to the public interest regarding my engagement as a potential defense attorney for Mr. Veliaj before the Constitutional Court, after a careful assessment in accordance with the law and the Code of Ethics, I conclude that I am in a conflict of interest due to my and my law firm's engagements in other previous cases still in process and reasons other than those for which the law, ethics and morality oblige us not to be a defense attorney in cases like these. For these reasons, I hereby inform you that I will not be his defense attorney before the Constitutional Court in tomorrow's trial," the lawyer writes.
Veliaj's legal team will now have to find another lawyer.
If the scheduled hearing will take place, because if another lawyer is found, he will normally need time to familiarize himself with the file documents.
We recall that former Mayor Erion Veliaj has confirmed his willingness to be at the Constitutional Court session and the Constitutional Court immediately informed the General Directorate of Prisons and SPAK of the date and time of the session.
The General Directorate of Prisons has officially confirmed that all measures have been taken for Erion Veliaj to be physically present at the Constitutional Court session to be held on October 31.
Erion Veliaj has been in detention in Durrës since February 10. The Special Prosecution Office has listed 13 charges against him and 12 against his wife Ajola Xoxa.