Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj has hit out not only at Prime Minister Edi Rama, but also at Justice Minister Toni Gogu, after the latter's meeting with him on Friday at Fier prison.
Veliaj reveals details from the conversation with the minister, highlighting the previous personal relationship between them. According to him, Gogu visited him in prison for the first time after 20 months.
Veliaj described the meeting with Gogu with a significant sentence: "Toni Gogu comes to the meeting after 20 months."
The relationship between the two characters has previously been very close, not only in political terms, but also in personal terms. Toni Gogu was a friend of Veliaj and participated in his marriage ceremony with Ajola Xoxa, in the role of pastor.
Gogu's political career has also been linked to Veliaj. In 2017, when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice, his friendship with the mayor of Tirana and his past as a Protestant pastor were also highlighted.
Two years later, on July 30, 2019, Gogu was elected chairman of the Tirana Municipal Council, at a time when Veliaj was leading the institution.
But what makes Veliaj's reaction even stronger are the allegations about the messages that, according to him, Minister Gogu conveyed on behalf of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Veliaj claims that his transfer to Fier prison and isolation were personally ordered by Rama, bypassing the Minister of Justice.
The mayor claims that behind this decision lie three concrete requests that were submitted to him through Gog.
The first, according to Veliaj, is the admission of involvement in the case known as "Flamingot", with the warning that otherwise other charges may be added, including that of "disturbing the constitutional order".
The second request, according to him, is related to the resignation from the Municipality of Tirana and its delegation to Arbër Hajdari. While the third request is related to the cessation of consultations with lawyer Plarent Ndreca.
On the other hand, the Minister of Justice had previously confirmed the meeting with Veliaj in Fier prison, stating that the visit aimed to familiarize himself with the conditions of his treatment and listen to the complaints raised publicly by the lawyer.