Press Release

Fier Prosecutor, Petrit Vukaj, arrested over “passive corruption…”

Prosecution Office of Serious Crime has received the permission of the Court to arrest the citizen Petrit Vukaj, with the function of “Prosecutor” at the Fier District Prosecution Office, suspected on committing the offense “Passive corruption…of prosecutor…”, provided by Article 319/ç of the Criminal Code.
The decision of the Court for Serious Crimes has been executed by the State Police Forces, in the morning of Friday (dated November 27, 2015).

The investigations of the Prosecution of Serious Crimes concluded that Petrit Vukaj, in fulfillment of its functions, has been contacted by some persons to reduce the conviction of Elton Xhemali, detained for “Violation of traffic rules” which happened on March 31, 2015 in the axis Levan-Tepelene that caused the death of Perparim Bizhga, Chief of Delvina Police, who was traveling with Xhemali.

Based on the investigation it was found that the citizen Elton Xhemali, through his brother, Arjan Xhemali and the officer of the State Police, Gazmir Nelollari, aims to avoid the imprisonment of the offense committed. 
To achieve their goal, the citizen Arjan Xhemali and Gazmir Nelollari contacted with the prosecutor of the case, Petrit Vukaj, who based on his procedural actions significantly reduced the conviction of the detainees Elton Xhemali, in exchange of 300.000 ALL.

After the intervention, the prosecutor Vukaj, at the hearing on October 07, 2015 at the court of Fier, has requested 2 years in prison for the defendant Elton Xhemali and suspension of the sentence and turning it in probation”. The prosecutor’s request was partly accepted by the court, which decides “18 months of imprisonment”, but by refusing the prosecutor’s request for suspension of the sentence.

This decision shows that has not pleased the defendants Elton Xhemali, whose brother Arjan Xhemali and the police Gazmir Nelollari, has given assurance that they intervened to the prosecution and he will be out of detention. The defendant Elton requested two other persons to get the money that they have given to the prosecutor Petrit Vukaj, because he (the prosecutor) has not kept his promise.
The citizen Arjan Xhemali and Gazmir Nelollari tried to cald down the defendant Elton Xhemali, making known that the prosecutor has done his job, as he has requested the suspension of his sentence.

Following the investigation, by the Court for Serious Crimes, at the request of the Prosecution Office of Serious Crime, initially was appointed the security measure “prison custody” for the citizen Elton Xhemali, Arjan Xhemali and Gazmir Nelollari, for the offense “Active corruption of the judge, prosecutor…”, decisions that are executed by the State Police dated November 07, 2015.
Meanwhile, at the request of the Prosecution Office of Serious Crimes, dated November 26, 2015, the court decided security measure “detention in custody” for the prosecutor Petrit Vukaj, suspected of the offense of “Passive corruption of the judge, prosecutor…”.