Journalist Klodiana Lala has revealed details from the testimony of Mustafa Martinaj, the father of Ervis Martinaj, who appeared in court in the process related to the seizure of the family’s assets.
Invited to the show “Të Paekspozuarit” on MCN TV, Lala said that Mustafa Martinaj has declared that his son is no longer alive and has accused the authorities of not doing enough to clarify his fate.
According to Lala, Mustafa Martinaj’s testimony initially focused on the source of the family’s wealth, where he attempted to convince the court that the assets were created legally.
“Mustafa Martinaj testified in the process related to the seizure of assets against him and Ervis Martinaj. He tried to convince the court that the assets had legal sources. He said that he had worked initially as an official and then as a businessman, money changer and in currency exchange points. He claimed that he had great financial opportunities to justify the assets. But what stood out the most was the fact that he did not avoid the disappearance of his son. He said that his son is no longer alive and that he was ashamed to be asked about ‘rrecka and concrete’, while no one gave answers about the fate of Ervis Martinaj. According to him, the family was persecuted with 23 police checks after the disappearance of their son, with the suspicion that he could still be alive,” she said.
The investigative journalist also made strong accusations against law enforcement institutions, stating that the investigations into the disappearance of Ervis Martinaj and the murder of Brilant Martinaj have not been handled properly.
“I have a criticism of the Albanian authorities, because I think they have not done enough for either the disappearance of Ervis Martinaj or the murder of Brilant Martinaj. Jeton Lami has gone to the Martinaj family and it is clear that he has not told the truth. If he had spoken from the very beginning, perhaps Martinaj’s fate would have been revealed today. In this context, SPAK should call these people and take the file from the Lezha Prosecutor’s Office, because it does not have the capacity to investigate such a serious case. It is suspected that at least five criminal groups were involved in Martinaj’s disappearance,” Lala declared.
Lala further said that there is currently legal uncertainty about the status of Ervis Martinaj, since for SPAK he is still a person under investigation, while for the Lezha Prosecutor’s Office he is considered missing. According to her, legal procedures will then be needed to declare him dead, which is directly related to the Martinaj family’s property issues.