The Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana has announced the completion of investigations and has submitted a request for legal proceedings to the First Instance Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime against the accused Ilir Pashaj, local media report.
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He is charged with the criminal offenses of "Passive Corruption of Judges, Prosecutors, and Other Judicial Officials", "Refusal to Declare, Non-declaration, Concealment or False Declaration of Assets, Private Interests of Elected Persons and Public Officials, or any other person who has a legal obligation to declare", as well as "Money Laundering of Proceeds of Criminal Activity or Criminal Activity", offenses provided for by articles 319/a, 257/a, and 287/1, letter "a" of the Penal Code.
"Analysis of the facts and evidence reveals that the defendant Ilir Pashaj, during the period he served as a judge at the Elbasan District Court, has unlawfully acquired movable and immovable assets, which are the product of the criminal offense of corruption, a criminal offense that has been proven to have occurred at least in one case, specifically in the case related to court decision no. 343, dated 29.7.2009, of the Elbasan District Court, with the subject 'Issuance of execution order for executive titles, decisions no. 255, and no. 256, dated 29.6.2009, and no. 244, dated 26.6.2009, of the Regional Office of Return and Compensation of Properties'."
Due to his position as a judge at the Elbasan District Court, citizen Ilir Pashaj is a declarant subject, based on Law no. 9049, dated 10.04.2003 "On the declaration and control of assets, financial obligations of elected persons, and certain public officials." The defendant Ilir Pashaj, due to his position as a judge, has not reflected in the periodic declarations for the years 2015, 2016, and thereafter, a vehicle registered with license plate AA......JM, thus concealing this movable property. Additionally, this defendant has not disclosed in these statements the immovable property acquired in the name of his father-in-law S. B. Judge Ilir Pashaj, despite being aware of the legal obligation to declare all movable and immovable assets, intentionally concealed them by registering them in the names of other close relatives, thereby committing elements of the offense provided for by article 257/a/2 of the Penal Code.
The defendant Ilir Pashaj has ensured that the irregular benefits obtained due to his duty as a judge are masked in the names of others (father-in-law and brother-in-law), concealing the true owner and source of these assets, thereby also committing elements of the offense provided for by article 287 of the Penal Code. This individual, through the transfer of property that is the object of irregular acquisition to his close relatives, with the aim of covering up the illegal origin of these assets, has also committed elements of the offense of money laundering of proceeds of criminal activity provided for by article 287/1 letter "a" of the Penal Code.
During the preliminary investigations of this procedure at the request of the Special Prosecution, the First Instance Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 92, dated 07.02.2024, has decided on preventive seizure of immovable property, namely an apartment with an area of 105.2 m2, located in Elbasan (owned by citizen S. B. but suspected to belong to the defendant Ilir Pashaj and constitutes the product of the criminal offense). This decision was executed by the Elbasan Local Police Directorate.
Furthermore, with the decision dated 25.03.2022, the prosecutor has ordered the seizure of the vehicle registered with license plate AA.....JM, registered in the name of the defendant Ilir Pashaj's brother-in-law, but which is found to be his property. This decision was executed by the judicial police," SPAK announces.