The Criminal College of the Supreme Court rejected Veliaj’s request to overturn an earlier decision keeping him in pre-trial detention.

Judges upheld a March 2025 ruling by the Special Court of Appeal.

The case had returned to the Supreme Court after the Constitutional Court found that judges had not previously given enough reasons for keeping Veliaj detained or properly considered less restrictive measures.

Veliaj remains the elected mayor of Tirana but cannot carry out his duties while in custody.

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During the hearing, Veliaj requested the recusal of Judge Etleva Dedja, arguing that she had denied him the right to an effective defence.

Following exchanges between the parties, Veliaj left the courtroom before the hearing concluded.

A court-appointed lawyer, Valentina Teodoresku, asked for the session to be postponed, saying she had not yet reviewed the case file.

The court said it had presented its final conclusions in the case on Monday, declaring the defence phase closed.

Separately, another GJKKO judge is expected within five days to decide whether to accept Veliaj’s request for Judge Dedja’s recusal.

According to prosecutors from the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), Veliaj faces 13 charges, including nine counts of passive corruption, money laundering, failure to declare assets, abuse of office and smuggling prohibited items into prison. His wife, Ajola Xoxa, has also been sent to trial.

Veliaj has been in custody for nearly a year, having been arrested on Feb. 10, 2025.

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The complaint, submitted to the General Jurisdiction Prosecutor’s Office in Tirana, concerns an alleged offence of document forgery under Article 186 of the Criminal Code.

According to the filing, a judicial notification receipt included in the case file of the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organised Crime bears a signature in Veliaj’s name, indicating he had personally been notified of a court decision.

Veliaj said the signature is not his and that official checks show the appellate ruling was never delivered to the Durrës Detention Facility, where he is currently being held in pre-trial detention.

Veliaj said the alleged action seriously undermines the constitutional right to appeal, legal certainty and due process, effectively seeking to deprive him of the right to lodge a cassation appeal through the use of a false official document.

The complaint calls for the immediate registration of criminal proceedings, a forensic handwriting examination of the signature, and an investigation into all individuals involved in drafting, handling or using the document. It also seeks scrutiny of any additional criminal offences that may emerge during the investigation, including abuse of office.

A copy of the complaint has also been submitted to the Supreme Court, Veliaj said, as evidence that procedural deadlines for filing an appeal have not legally begun due to the lack of valid notification.

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Speaking at a public meeting with residents in Tirana’s Administrative Unit No. 5, the government head criticized Veliaj’s pre-trial detention, calling it “disproportionate.”

“The Mayor of Tirana has been taken from his office and sent to prison without trial – a measure usually reserved for very dangerous people,” Rama said.

“Everyone in Albania, whatever their position, must be investigated if necessary. But they are innocent until a court finds them guilty,” he added.

Rama said the capital should not have to “pay the price” of being without leadership for an extended period and expressed hope that the Constitutional Court would allow Veliaj to resume his mayoral duties.

“The Court ruled he cannot exercise his function but new elections cannot be held because he is still mayor,” Rama said. “Fine – then give him the chance to do his job. I hope the Constitutional Court stays consistent with its own position and lets him continue.”

He added that the government will continue to support the municipality in managing its budget and services until the legal situation is resolved.

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According to local media, the court voted 5-3 in Veliaj’s favor, effectively nullifying President Bajram Begaj’s decree calling for partial elections in the Albanian capital.

Veliaj had been dismissed by the Council of Ministers on September 25 following a proposal from Tirana’s city council, citing a law on local government that requires officials to be present in their duties. The government argued Veliaj had been absent from his position for three months.

President Begaj subsequently decreed partial elections for Tirana on October 1, but the vote was suspended by an interim decision from the Constitutional Court pending a final ruling.

Veliaj, who has been in pre-trial detention since February 10, faces nine charges of passive corruption, as well as accusations of money laundering, failure to declare assets, abuse of office, and smuggling contraband into prison.

The Constitutional Court’s decision means no mayoral elections will be held in Tirana, keeping Veliaj in office despite ongoing legal proceedings.

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Speaking at the opening of the SP Assembly meeting, Rama said Tirana has been in a state of emergency for seven months following the imprisonment of its elected mayor, a situation that must be addressed urgently.

The government head called for new elections in the capital and proposed Manastirliu as the candidate to restore stability and governance.

Rama announced the choice at the party assembly, praising her record in government and calling the overhaul urgent.

“Ogerta Manastirliu represents the calm strength of Tirana. She is a former social affairs official in Tirana municipality, a devoted mother who has raised exemplary daughters in this city, and a skilled manager needed now to heal the open wounds left by a troubled governance in this extremely challenging year for the capital,” Rama said. “She will lead our transformative work towards Tirana 2030 – the capital of the Balkans in Europe.

Addressing Manastirliu directly, Rama acknowledged the sudden nature of the announcement but emphasized the urgency: “Albania needs Tirana like a train needs its locomotive, and Tirana needs the Socialist Party as its driving engine. There is no more time to wait; it’s time to put the right driver in control.”

Rama concluded by pledging full party support to Manastirliu as she seeks the capital’s vote of confidence in the upcoming mayoral elections.

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Veliaj is facing charges of passive corruption in nine separate instances, money laundering, abuse of office, failure to declare assets, and unlawful introduction of prohibited items into prison facilities.

According to SPAK, Veliaj, while in office as Mayor of Tirana, allegedly approved the allocation of public funds and construction permits in exchange for illicit financial benefits, which were then funneled through businesses and NGOs linked to his wife.

SPAK claims the funds were transferred to organizations and companies – including NGOs such as “Harabel”, “Muza”, “BYL-A”, “Eventus”, and construction firms like “Fusha”, “Agi Kons”, and “Kontakt” – which allegedly provided illegal benefits in return for favorable treatment from the municipality.

Ajola Xoxa is accused of being a co-conspirator in all nine corruption cases and faces additional charges of money laundering, concealment of income, and false asset declarations.

Seventeen other individuals and 13 legal entities also face charges. SPAK says the couple operated a coordinated scheme involving bribery, undeclared assets, and misuse of public office.

The case marks a major escalation in Albania’s anti-corruption crackdown.

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