The decision of the Special Court of Appeals to return former Minister of the Environment, Lefter Koka, to prison in connection with the Tirana incinerator case, has not yet been executed, as he has been abroad for about four and a half months.
Regarding his absence, defense attorney Maksim Sota explained that the former minister had health problems while in prison and, after his release in December, he left Albania to receive medical treatment and more specialized care.
According to the lawyer, Lefter Koka has been informed of the Appeals Court’s decision and will return to the country immediately after completing medical treatment.
The former minister was sentenced on April 16, 2025 by the Court of First Instance to two years in prison for abuse of office in collaboration, within the framework of procedures related to the Tirana incinerator affair.
At that time, the court also decided to terminate the security measure and release him in this case, with the argument that the period of sentence was considered completed through the time spent in detention. However, the existence of two other court decisions related to the concession contracts of the Elbasan and Fier incinerators prevented his immediate release.
In December, Lefter Koka was released by the Durrës Court, after it was deemed that he had served the sentences he had been given.
During the review of the case in the Special Appeal, the prosecution requested a partial retrial of the former minister, requesting a recalculation of the remaining sentence to be served. The Special Court of Appeal accepted this request and decided to partially overturn the First Instance decision, specifically the part that related to the termination of the security measure.
As a result of this decision, Lefter Koka must return to serve the remainder of his sentence, but the execution of this order remains suspended until his return to Albania.