Journalist Artan Hoxha has commented on the meeting between Justice Minister Toni Gogu and Erion Veliaj at the Fier prison, describing it as a mafia-style threat. According to Hoxha, the fact that the minister went to the cell at 22:30, outside the usual visiting hours, shows that the situation was extraordinary.
“What happened at the Fier prison was a mafia threat. Not even Putin would make a threat in that way. The minister goes to prison at 22:30. There is a time when you can enter and a time when you cannot, except in emergencies. It seems there is a big problem, and in the wake of that typical mafia-style threat”, Hoxha said.
Commenting on Minister Gogu’s statement, in which he denied having conveyed threatening messages, Hoxha said he believes Veliaj’s version, also pointing to the fact that the mayor has been held in prison for 20 months and the minister has only now visited him.
According to the journalist, the clash is also linked to control of the Tirana Municipality and the upcoming local elections. He claimed that Veliaj has regained influence over the municipality since mid-September, removing people placed there by Rama, which, in his view, has deepened the conflict between them.
Finally, the journalist raised questions about the responsibility of the prison institutions and called for an investigation into how the late-night meeting was organized.