SPAK's accusations/ How many years in prison does Erion Veliaj risk?

2025-04-10 11:56:00, Aktualitet CNA

For two months, the public debate in Albania has been focused on one thing, the arrest and charges against the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj . There have been rumors that SPAK has done its job very well, there have been rumors that it was directed by Edi Rama, there have been rumors that Erion Veliaj had gotten himself into trouble.

Latest/ Erion Veliaj arrested
February 10, 13:57

There are also some dissatisfied, among public analysts, that Erion Veliaj should not have been arrested for these charges that SPAK has already made public, but that he should have been charged with the incinerators, “5D”, etc. There are rumors that the charges are very serious and Erion Veliaj risks spending many years behind bars. But beyond them, let's see what the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania provides regarding the charges that SPAK has brought against Erion Veliaj. The charge of “ Active and passive corruption of local elected officials”, article 260 of the Criminal Code, is from 4 to 12 years in prison .

The Veliaj File: Investigations, Accusations and Facts
February 28, 19:27

We must bear in mind that in the case of Mayor Erion Veliaj we are not dealing with one, but with at least 9 cases, say the successive court decisions. The most recent, that of Engert Pëllumbi, also shows similar cases of Erion Veliaj's colleagues, mayors, who have been convicted by the Criminal Court. The second charge is "Laundering the proceeds of crime", which goes from 7 to 15 years in prison. The third charge is for "Bringing prohibited items into detention cells", which according to Article 324/a of the Criminal Code, Erion Veliaj risks 5 to 10 years in prison.

SPAK issues new charges to Veliaj
March 20, 12:42

If they were added up mathematically, Erion Veliaj should have been sentenced to a minimum of 16 to 37 years in prison, but that's not how the calculation is done. So, the minimum and maximum are not added together in the request submitted by the prosecutors to the court, but the articles they have are taken, the offense is taken . The remaining years of the sentence are absorbed by the most serious criminal offense.

Erion Veliaj risks being charged with these three offenses in court, with a request for 7 to 15 years in prison . This is the explanation given by lawyers and jurists regarding the three charges that have been brought against the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj.

Here is the full decision of the Appeals Court of Kosovo that sinks Erion Veliaj and his media associates
April 9, 10:26

Beyond any debate, beyond any opinion and beyond any discussion, the Criminal Code is cold, its articles and punishments are well-defined, and the mayor of Tirana, at a minimum, according to the three criminal offenses he has committed and that have been made known, risks from 7 to 15 years in prison .

If he is convicted by the court, according to these three articles of the Criminal Code, which have already been made public. The most serious is the one of "Laundering the proceeds of a criminal offense" , which has the greatest years of punishment , which apparently will clearly be presented to the mayor of Tirana in court./ CNA