Former head of Saranda Prosecutor's Office and three others sent for trial/ SPAK with official reaction

2026-01-29 13:43:00, Aktualitet CNA

Former head of Saranda Prosecutor's Office and three others sent for trial/

The Special Prosecution Office has closed the investigations and sent the former head of the Saranda Prosecution Office, Kledian Llahon, a lawyer, and two businessmen to trial for corruption and exercising illegal influence.

Kledian Llaho and Vasil Bakalli are accused of “Passive corruption of a judge, prosecutor, or other officials of the justice system” and “Passive corruption of a judge, prosecutor, or other officials of the justice system”. Pando Papuçi and Çlirim Shahini are accused of the criminal offense of “Exercising unlawful influence over public officials”.

The SPAK announcement states that the complainant in this case, citizen MA, has been criminally investigated by Prosecutor Kledian Llaho, as part of a criminal investigation, for abuse of office.

It is also said that the position of the prosecutor, Kledian Llaho, was biased in the investigation, due to the relationship that the complainant's family had with the prosecutor's father-in-law. This is because the complainant was a tenant of a hotel building, owned by the prosecutor's father-in-law, Llaho.

Full announcement:

The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime completed the investigations and has sent to the Special Court of First Instance the request for the trial of criminal proceedings no. 73 of 2024, against the defendants:

1. Kledian Llaho, accused of the criminal offenses of "Passive corruption of a judge, prosecutor, or other officials of the justice system", in collaboration, provided for by articles 319/ç and 25 of the Criminal Code, and "Exercise of illegal influence over public officials", in collaboration, provided for by articles 245/1, fourth paragraph, and article 25 of the Criminal Code.

2. Vasil Bakalli, accused of the criminal offenses of “Passive corruption of a judge, prosecutor, or other officials of the justice system”, in collaboration, provided for by articles 319/ç and 25 of the Criminal Code, and “Exercise of illegal influence over public officials”, in collaboration, provided for by articles 245/1, fourth paragraph and 25 of the Criminal Code;

3. Pando Papuçi, accused of the criminal offense of "Exercising unlawful influence over public officials", provided for by article 245/1, second paragraph of the Criminal Code in 2 episodes;

4. Çlirim Shahini, accused of the criminal offense of "Exercising illegal influence over public officials", provided for by article 245/1, fourth paragraph of the Criminal Code.

The complainant, citizen MA, was criminally investigated by Prosecutor Kledian Llaho, within the framework of a criminal investigation by the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Saranda, for the criminal offense of abuse of office. Meanwhile, the criminal fact that the prosecutor, Kledian Llaho, was biased in the investigation of the criminal proceedings has been documented.

No. 774/2021. His position is related to the relationship that the family of the complainant (citizen MA) had with the prosecutor's father-in-law, because he was a tenant of a hotel facility, owned by the prosecutor's father-in-law. Citizen MA had recognized the investment made and consequently the obligation to the tenants in the amount of 1,800,000 (one million eight hundred thousand) lek.

Referring to the above facts, the Special Prosecution Office has documented the criminal fact that prosecutor Kledian Llaho, in his capacity as prosecutor of the case, requested the investigated party to return the amount of 1,800,000 to his father-in-law through his acquaintance, citizen Vasil Bakalli, in order to facilitate the procedural position of the investigated MA, within the framework of the criminal proceedings against him.

At the same time, citizen Pando Papuçi was also investigated in the criminal proceedings of the Saranda Prosecutor's Office, who handed over the citizens, Vasil Bakalli and Kledian Llaho, in the form of a bribe, the amount of 30,000 (thirty thousand) euros, with the aim of the latter exercising illegal influence on the prosecutor of the case, in order to facilitate the procedural positions of this defendant.

Citizen Pando Papuçi paid a bribe of 25,000 euros to his lawyer Çlirim Shahini, who promised to exert illegal influence on the judge in the case in charge of the latter.

In conclusion, after conducting numerous investigative actions and using special investigative methods, the above-mentioned criminal offenses have been documented beyond any reasonable doubt.

The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has registered criminal proceedings no. 73 of 2024, for the commission of the criminal offense; "Passive corruption of judges, prosecutors and other officials of the justice system", provided for by Article 319/ç of the Criminal Code, while on 6.1.2025 it registered the name of the person under investigation, Kledjan Llaho, suspected of committing this criminal offense. Meanwhile, on 30.1.2025, the data and name of the person attributed to the criminal offense "Exercise of illegal influence over persons exercising public functions", provided for by Article 245/1 of the Criminal Code, namely citizens, Pando Papuçi and Vasil Bakalli, were registered. Also, on 17.10.2025, the data and name of the person attributed to the criminal offense "Exercising illegal influence over persons exercising public functions", provided for by article 245/1, fourth paragraph of the Criminal Code, was recorded for citizen Çlirim Shahini. /CNA