Despite the opposition’s repeated request to hear explanations from Justice Minister Toni Gogu regarding the case of Erion Veliaj, the Law Committee meeting was held without representatives of the parliamentary minority present.
Gogu appeared before the committee to present the budget of the justice institutions, but the absence of Democratic Party (PD) MPs and other opposition parties meant that the case of the Mayor of Tirana did not receive the attention that had been anticipated.
No questions about Veliaj’s claims came from the majority ranks either. Veliaj has spoken of a transfer from prison with political motives, as well as of threats during the justice minister’s visit to the Fier pretrial detention facility, which took place on Friday late in the evening.
Although the minister was facing lawmakers, the mayor’s claims remained undiscussed in the committee. In his opening remarks, Toni Gogu chose to emphasize the independence of the justice institutions, sending a message at a time when the Veliaj case has sparked political debate.
“The justice institutions carry out their services independently; the government pays only the financial bill”, Gogu stated during the presentation of the budget.