On February 3, Daut Laze, convicted of domestic violence, escaped from Shenkoll prison, taking advantage of the lack of security in the sector where prisoners with mental health problems were held. This sector had been transferred to Shenkoll after the closure of the Zahari Penitentiary in Fushë Krujë due to inadequate conditions, but even in the new premises the necessary security was not guaranteed. Weak control and the lack of preventive measures allowed Laze to carry out his escape without being noticed.
Following investigations, the Internal Control Service arrested three employees of the Shenkoll Penitentiary Institution, Tonin Nikolli, Gjin Ndokë and Zhaneta Mella, who were suspended from work and accused of abuse of office.
But the findings of “shteg.org” show that the lack of effective personnel and the overload of security staff have created gaps that were exploited by the fugitive.
Shënkoll Prison has a capacity of 200 beds for inmates on compulsory treatment, but currently houses 455 people, far more than the infrastructure allows. This overcrowding has brought chaos to security management, making it easy for prisoners to find ways to evade surveillance.
flight
Daut Laze did not try hard to carry out his prison escape plan, a plan which he put into action at midnight on February 3, 2025.
What was supposed to be a prison for serving a sentence was nothing more than an emergency room whose doors were always open. It was just as easy to escape from the siege of Shënkoll prison, which was transformed into a “hospital” after the closure of the Zahari Correctional Institution in Fushë Krujë due to scandalous conditions.
It seems that for three months, Daut Lazë has done nothing but observe the new environment where he was placed to serve the sentence handed down by the court on November 4, 2024.
Likewise, verbal orders to keep the prisoners’ doors open appear to have aided Laze’s escape plan.
“Orders are given verbally and for two months the doors of the patients were not allowed to be closed,” one of the employees of the Shenkoll prison told “shteg.org”.
Following these orders, all a prisoner had to do was pretend to be asleep.
At 3:25 in the morning, Daut Laze saw the police officer on duty go to supervise another sector. Immediately after this, Laze spread out the bed blankets as if a person was sleeping and left the wing of buildings 2-3 through the prison corridor.
Security cameras show him smoking and after 5 minutes he returns to the room to get his religious books, to regain his freedom without being disturbed by anyone.
“He climbed onto the grate he had placed on the wall. He jumped over it and headed towards guard post number 4. At this service point there is a pipe that protrudes slightly and provides illumination of two corners for the searchlights. There is the embankment of the Mat River closer. He jumped from the pipe and crossed the net without being disturbed by anyone,” the source says.
Shënkoll Prison has 8 cells, or domes as they are called in the technical language of the police. During the day, the leaders had ordered only 2 police officers to stay at cells No. 2 and No. 5. At night, security was maintained by 3 police officers who guarded domes 2-5-7 and a supervisor.
The incident was followed by an investigation by the Internal Control Service, which resulted in the arrest of 3 employees of the Shenkoll Penitentiary Institution. Tonin Nikolli, Gjin Ndoka and Zhaneta Mella have been suspended from work and accused of abuse of office.
“shteg.org” data shows that security in Shenkoll prison was minimal due to the reduced number of police officers.
The capacity of Shenkollit prison for convicted persons who come for compulsory treatment is 200 beds, while this building currently accommodates 455 patients with compulsory medical measures imposed by the court.
The police are found guilty.
“I have been working in Shenkoll for 30 years and my file is clean. There is no objection in my file,” begins police officer Tonin Nikolli. The 57-year-old is one of the 3 employees arrested for the release of Daut Laze from prison.
Tonini is under house arrest, following accusations of abuse of office. According to the investigation, the police officer was guilty of not stopping the escape of Daut Laze, even though on the night of February 3rd he had been ordered to maintain security in the “nursing and meeting areas” of the Shenkoll prison.
“As a rule, I only have to guard one sector, but they assigned me 2 sectors that night. I even signed two service books. I had to guard 16 patients on one side and 13 on the other. The distance from one service location to the other is 100 meters,” Tonini tells “shteg.org”.
The exact moment of Tonini’s movement from one sector to another seems to have been exploited by the prisoner.
“I was guarding patients, not convicted or detained. There were no internal regulations for patients. They told us to be careful, don’t close the door, don’t touch them,” Tonini says.
However, documents show that the police officer handed over the shift in the morning and informed the replacement employee that everything was fine.
The Directorate of Prisons has admitted in an official letter that the number of patients at the Shenkoll Penitentiary Institution is twice as high as the accommodation beds.
“The capacity is 200 beds in two separate buildings. Currently, 455 patients are accommodated with court-mandated medical measures.”
During June, it was decided that the Shënkoll prison would change its status from an IEVP (Institution for the Execution of Criminal Decisions) to an IMD (Special Medical Institute). This change also brought about a reduction in police staff, as a large part of the police officers were transferred to the Reç prison.
The change in status did not last long, only a month later he was returned to the penitentiary.
Officially, Shenkoll’s status is currently an IEPD, but the return to normal security status did not increase security, but work continued with half the staff.
There are 110 police officers who maintain security in this institution, while the prison directorate did not give us a concrete answer to our question about how many police personnel guard buildings 4-5 and the infirmary-meetings where prisoners with compulsory treatment are accommodated.
After Daut Laze’s departure, significant changes have taken place in the Shenkoll facilities. Internal regulations have been restored, with all patients’ doors locked with a bolt and key.
“Now they have reversed the situation, they have locked the doors. They have returned it to prison, but I am under house arrest and waiting to appear in court for an event for which I am not responsible,” says Tonin Nikolli.
RRKOKSH (Rrjeti për Raportimin e Krimit të Organizuar dhe Korrupsionit në Shqipëri), organizata juaj kryesore mediatike investigative e angazhuar për të hedhur dritë mbi krimin e organizuar dhe korrupsionin në të gjithë Shqipërinë. Nëpërmjet platformës sonë online në shteg.org, ne ofrojmë një gazetari të plotë dhe me ndikim që synon jo vetëm të informojë, por edhe të nxisë ndryshimet shoqërore.