Materials produced following a court order suggest investigation was initiated based on unverifiable anonymous allegations attributed to non-existent individuals

TIRANA, Albania, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Following a court order requiring Albania’s Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to finally provide Mayor Erion Veliaj access to the evidence against him, recently disclosed materials contain troubling evidence which raises profound questions about the foundation of the entire prosecution.

According to the disclosed materials, SPAK’s investigation appears to have been initiated based on anonymous allegations attributed to two individuals identified as “Nesti Agoni” and “Nasta Pellumbi,” neither of whom appear on Albania’s National Registry of Citizens.  

Plarent Ndreca, Mayor Veliaj’s defense lawyer in Albania, issued the following statement about the newly disclosed materials:

“These purported whistleblowers are made up names of fictitious individuals, and the allegations attributed to them are unsupported and inherently unreliable. This disturbing disclosure further suggests that SPAK launched its major prosecution of a sitting mayor based on a deeply suspect and pretextual premise, underscoring serious concerns about due process, prosecutorial integrity, and the rule of law.”

The case has drawn increasing international attention, with observers raising broader concerns about due process and the rule of law in Albania

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SOURCE Kasowitz LLP