On the afternoon of July 27, four years ago, one of the most serious mafia attacks in the country would be recorded. At the Shkozet overpass, the car in which Brilant Martinaj was traveling was ambushed. He was in the vehicle with his two friends, Dikler Vata and Besmir Hoxha.
Kalashnikov rifles rained down on their bodies. All three died on the spot, while the vehicle, after the gun attack, burst into flames. The national road connecting Tirana with the north of the country was blocked for hours.
The assassination was the continuation of a series of serious criminal events that had shaken the country, some of which targeted the people of Ervis Martinaj, known as the “gambling king.” Martinaj had created numerous feuds with rival criminal groups for control of gambling, and his trusted men were being killed one after another.
But the murder of his cousin, Brilant Martinaj, was the most serious blow he would be dealt.
At that time, the father of four children was wanted by SPAK and was said to be hiding between Tirana and Durrës.
The Martinaj family had not yet recovered from the tragedy of the murder of Brilant and his two friends when they turned to the police with a criminal report for the kidnapping and disappearance of Ervis Martinaj.
Family members have always insisted that Ervis Martinaj was kidnapped and killed. Investigations revealed that in recent days he had been assisted by Jeton Lami, an officer of the Special Operations Force.
The released footage showed Lami accompanying Martinaj in every move. The last known footage was recorded at the entrance of a hotel in Durrës, where Ervis Martinaj appeared alongside his girlfriend and Jeton Lami. After that, there was no trace, although the family claims to have obtained footage related to the moment of the kidnapping.
Martinaj’s disappearance caused great shock in public opinion and brought strong political reactions.
Prime Minister Edi Rama gave the State Police 100 days to shed light on the fate of the so-called “gambling king”.
During the investigation, individuals from the underworld who were in conflict with Martinaj were arrested, dozens of people were questioned, and footage from security cameras was seized.
The disappearance of Ervis Martinaj made headlines for weeks. In the days that followed, Jeton Lami, the officer considered Martinaj’s most trusted man, was arrested. Investigations later revealed that he was not only the last person to accompany Ervis Martinaj, but also the last person to meet Brilant Martinaj before he was executed in Fushë-Krujë.
Jeton Lami was arrested, convicted and then released, but he never told the truth about the two events: the assassination of Brilant Martinaj and the disappearance of Ervis Martinaj. For many, he remains “Pandora’s box”, the person who could shed light on both events, but who has chosen to remain silent.
Meanwhile, the prosecution has not yet been able to solve the mystery of Ervis Martinaj’s disappearance nor identify the perpetrators of the assassination attempt that killed Brilant Martinaj and his two friends.
Four years later, the Martinaj family continues to accuse politics of their son’s disappearance and demand justice.
But will it ever come? Will Ervis Martinaj’s fate ever be known?/VNA