"I have been violated by the Prime Minister"/ Prosecutor Elsa Gjeli complains to the KLP, CNA reveals the full letter

2025-07-11 09:58:00, Aktualitet CNA

"I have been violated by the Prime Minister"/ Prosecutor Elsa Gjeli

Shkodra Prosecutor Elsa Gjeli has sent a letter of complaint to the KLP regarding the statements made by Prime Minister Edi Rama to her regarding unauthorized construction in Theth.

CNA has published the full letter from the prosecutor, who states that she has been repeatedly publicly violated by Rama.

According to the prosecutor, Rama's reaction is unprecedented in a democratic state, it attacks a new prosecutor in office, with pure experience, questioning not only his professionalism, but also his ability to think independently and logically, and defines him as discriminatory.

The Prosecutor has requested the KLP to analyze the Prime Minister's behavior in the context of violating the independence of the Prosecution and respecting the separation of powers, to consider the possibility of an official statement in defense of the Prosecutor's corps from unacceptable political attacks, and to take institutional steps to guarantee the safety and professional integrity of Magistrates who feel persecuted due to their independent decisions.

The full letter declassified by CNA

I submit this official request to your institution, in defense of my professional dignity and independence, which has been publicly and repeatedly violated by the Prime Minister of the Republic, Mr. Edi Rama.

The prosecution filed a criminal complaint on 28.05.2025 after a referral from the police and the case was assigned to me for verification by electronic lottery. From this police referral, it resulted that in the Fushë-Theth neighborhood, in the village of Theth, Shalë Administrative Unit, Shkodër Municipality, the IMT had ascertained the placement of 10 containers, on the property of citizen Lene Prroni. These objects did not have a concrete base, but were placed in all four corners on cut stone slabs, according to the referral made by the Judicial Police. During the inspection of the yard, concrete slabs such as those used for sidewalks and sandwich-style sheet metal were ascertained. No person was found to be present at the site. Citizen Lene Prroni, questioned in her capacity as a person who has knowledge of the criminal offense, stated that: The found silos are located on her property, which she inherited from her ancestors. She states that she has applied to the municipality to obtain a building permit for their installation, but they have told her that they do not grant a permit, since ownership documents are needed to benefit and she does not have ownership documents, but has inherited the property from generation to generation. She also explained that, to her knowledge, for objects that are without foundations, without concrete, there is no need to obtain a permit. She indicates that she borrowed the money for the construction of these silos from her relatives, to build these silos, and that she had about 300 heads of cattle in Dukagjin, but since she did not have a shepherd to take care of them, she sold them all. In the reference made by the Shkodra Police Commissariat, it was cited that the Local Inspectorate for Territorial Protection of the Municipality of Shkodra considered the placement of the containers an administrative offense. At the end of the verification actions, on 30.05.2025 I decided not to initiate criminal proceedings for this report, since the fact did not constitute a criminal offense, but clarifying that we are in the conditions of an administrative offense. On 07.07.2025, images of the scene were published. It was on this date that Mr. Prime Minister also made his first public statement in denigrating tones, continuing the following day. From these images, I concluded that the scene had changed, the square where the containers were placed was concreted, electricity was connected and the containers appeared to be usable/habitable.

On July 7-8, 2025, the Prime Minister of the country, Mr. Edi Rama, through public conferences, posts on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and statements to the media, repeatedly and aggressively spoke out regarding this issue, mentioning my name personally and accusing me of:

•“I threw a multiple crime in the trash”;

•“I am a representative of justice who defends the destruction of public property”;

•“I acted arbitrarily and suspiciously”;

•“I must take responsibility for my decision,” etc.

These statements were made in his capacity as Prime Minister, influencing public perception, exposing me to an unprecedented media lynching, and undermining any understanding of justice as a system separate from the executive branch.

This public stance is:

•Unprecedented in a democratic state, where the independence of magistrates is guaranteed by the Constitution;

•Personal, as it attacks a new Prosecutor in office, with pure experience, questioning not only my professionalism, but also my ability to think independently and logically;

•Discriminatory, as it aims to intimidate through public shame and belittling the figure of a young Magistrate in the service of the state.

Public pressure on me goes beyond any permissible political criticism and aims to target me for reasons entirely related to my professional decision-making. I consider it important, among other things, to dwell on some moments related not only to the recent dynamics of events, which go beyond the normal, but also related to my professional career from the moment I began my duty, for which I swore before the Constitution that I would solemnly defend it until the final moment of its exercise. I consider it important to emphasize the fact that despite any difficulty that the profession of Prosecutor presents, as well as its dynamics, I would make the same choice every day, even though the entire Prosecutor's Office system is currently facing extraordinary challenges, resulting from overload, working every day and every hour (without counting any days off), since we all believe in the values ??of an independent judiciary, in terms of protecting the public interest and creating a better future for our country. Even though in the first month of my term of office I have been faced with serious events and with the receipt of a considerable number of files for investigation and trial, this challenge has not prevented me to this day from exercising my profession with integrity. Despite the fact that for the year 2024, the official figures analyzed in this year's Annual Report can speak more about my work than I do, in terms of completed files and persons taken as defendants. The arrest of citizen Lulzim Rakaj has been carried out, charged with the criminal offense provided for in Article 79/dh and 22 of the Criminal Code, considering the fact that even though on the day the court session for the validation of his arrest was reviewed, I had a car accident, this did not prevent me from running to the courtroom, again in defense of the public interest. I do not want to dwell on the many events that I have investigated or am currently investigating, as the launch of events has not been and will never be the objective of my work, but the goal is the fight against crime and the protection of the public interest at all times, according to the oath taken before the Constitution and which I have sworn to solemnly defend at all times.

I would beg and request that those institutions that are legally obliged to verify my decision-making take the appropriate measures, emphasizing that I am ready to face any possible consequences, as I am fully convinced that my decision-making can and should be evaluated only by the bodies determined by the Constitution and the law, but not by institutions outside the judicial branch. Allowing the opposite to happen would seriously violate fundamental constitutional principles.

Requirements:

In conclusion, in accordance with your powers, I ask the High Prosecutorial Council to:

1- To analyze the behavior of the Prime Minister in the context of violating the independence of the Prosecutor's Office and respecting the separation of powers;

2- To consider the possibility of an official statement in defense of the Prosecutors' Corps from unacceptable political attacks, emphasizing that regarding my individual case I am ready to be investigated before all judicial bodies;

3-Take institutional steps to guarantee the safety and professional integrity of Magistrates who feel persecuted due to their independent decisions.

I declare that I am willing to present any additional documents and to personally testify to the impact that these statements have had on my professional and emotional environment./ CNA