Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj did not appear at today’s hearing at the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) and is being represented by his lawyer, Plarent Ndreca.
Veliaj is understood to have sent the court a letter stressing that he will attend a hearing once he is allowed to sit in the courtroom rather than in a cage.
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“I will come when I am allowed to sit in the courtroom and not in a cage,” Veliaj said.
Veliaj was transferred from the Durrës detention facility to the one in Fier at the end of October by a decision of the General Directorate of Prisons.
The transfer to Fier prompted numerous reactions, while the Tirana mayor pointed the finger at Prime Minister Edi Rama the previous day.
In his response, Veliaj gave details of a meeting with Minister Gogu, who, he said, had conveyed a message from Prime Minister Edi Rama.
According to Veliaj, Rama threatened him, demanding that he admit involvement in the student and flamingo protests, step down as mayor of Tirana and stop consulting lawyer Plarent Ndreca.
Veliaj claims he was threatened with additional charges and a lengthy prison sentence if he refused.
