Journalist Artan Hoxha, invited to a television show, commented on the Court of Appeals’ decision regarding former minister Lefter Koka, who was convicted in the incinerator case.
Hoxha spoke at length about the way the incinerators’ court cases have been handled, raising questions about the investigation process and the way sentences are calculated, as well as the real responsibilities in this affair.
According to him, the perception has been created in public opinion that several ministers have been convicted for different incinerators, while in essence it is the same person in several files related to different projects.
The journalist also criticized the way security measures were handled and the time of detention was calculated, describing the Appeals Court’s decision as a complex interpretation that has changed the way the sentence is calculated.
‘Let’s come to today’s part. Why, even though it’s funny. If you see the truth, how many times do you need a minister for statistics, but you can’t take the same minister to three incinerators. Since he left, he took what he had to take.
We report that we have, we have sentenced three ministers for three incinerators, but in fact it is the same. Let me tell you, it is Ter Koka. Rightly, my brother says I have the head… ‘Yes, I was inspired’ he said, ‘by’, because I spoke to both of them he said. And he said ‘what are you going to do? Will you give up? Will you not give up? How is your situation?’ And, uh, when I saw he said, the national actor he said there that he said, he told the mayor that I am ready to do it.
I’m ready to do those years in prison, he said. ‘Why shouldn’t I do them?’ he said. Because I see that the rights are out.
The problem that arose today is this. How is it possible? At the Tirana incinerator, which has all the activity, the activity after Lefter Koka resigned. After Lefter Koka resigned.
And it’s one thing, there are about 60 million euros that it is already clear who received. And it is not being investigated anymore. Why is it not being investigated further? Excuse me, I’m not waiting for them to go up to Rama, not with those there, who are the direct beneficiaries?
And what is it, what did the Court of Appeal do today? The Court of Appeal made an invention. Since the first instance had sentenced him to two years, for Tirana, he was finished for Fier and Elbasan.
That he has done four years in prison. Now, in Tirana they told him, ‘Look sir, you want, you want, not two years in prison. You will be sentenced to three years in prison.’ And what did they change? They removed the security measure. While Lefter Koka was in prison, the security measure for the incinerator was in effect.
At first, he went to Elbasan, he was convicted. Meanwhile, the security measure for Fier came. And when the security measure comes, it is considered detention. Detention is a day and a half in prison. It is not simply prison, it is detention, that is why there is a security measure. When he was convicted for Fier, they sent him a new measure from Tirana, detention, for the Tirana incinerator. Now they say, ‘No…’
‘No. We brought you the measure in prison, but you were not in detention. You were in detention. So you don’t benefit from a day and a half, but only one day in prison. And since I calculated with plus and minus,’ they say, ‘you will do another six months, because those days that the court of first instance has calculated for you as detention, and the measure the court has given, that is, of detention, we don’t call them detention, we call them as imprisonment.
And you will do another six months now to complete it and you will do it now as a prisoner.’ Now this decision has to be executed by a prosecutor, uh, the court’s decision today and that prosecutor, any prosecutor in the case, make no mistake, has to, has to give it to the BKH and the BKH will then execute it. And here it will be seen what decision it will make. I gave him an idea like Ben Ahmetaj’s. The day has come when you don’t have to forgive them anymore, because they are not forgiving anyone,’ Artan Hoxha said, among other things.