The Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SCOC) found guilty on Wednesday, November 26, the official of the State Cadastre Agency, Dritan Stoka, and the headman of the New Neighborhood in Sauk, Agim Osma, of involvement in electoral corruption and exercising illegal influence during the 2019 local election campaign.
Stoka and Osma were charged with the criminal offenses of “Exercising unlawful influence over persons exercising public functions” and “Active corruption in elections”, crimes committed in collaboration. According to the court’s decision, the two defendants had requested and obtained voter lists, exerting pressure on citizens to vote in a certain way, in exchange for illegal favors such as staying in their jobs or providing them with legalization permits for informal constructions in the Sauk area.
Dritan Stoka, a former employee of the General Directorate of Cadastre, was found guilty of both charges and sentenced to 3 years in prison, which was reduced to 2 years of imprisonment due to a summary trial. He will serve the sentence in a regular security prison.
According to SPAK, Stoka used his public position to exert pressure on citizens and promise legalizations and other administrative favors in exchange for votes for the Socialist Party.
The court proved that they had asked various citizens to compile voter lists and influence the voting process, in exchange for irregular benefits such as keeping them employed or providing them with legalization permits in the Sauk area of Tirana.
Agim Osma, the mayor of Sauk at the time of the incident, was also found guilty of the same criminal offenses and sentenced to 2 years in prison, after being reduced from 3 years in prison.
For Osma, the GJKKO decided to suspend the execution of the sentence, placing him on probation for 24 months. Previously, Osma had been under house arrest due to health problems, a measure that has now been lifted. He is also prohibited from associating with convicted persons during the probation period.
SPAK investigations revealed that the defendants had sought and received irregular benefits to influence the issuance of construction permits to several citizens. Telephone intercepts documented that they exerted pressure on voters and determined their voting methods in exchange for administrative favors.
From the intercepted conversations included in the criminal proceedings file, it has resulted that through their actions, in collaboration with each other, through the search, receipt and acceptance, directly or indirectly, of irregular benefits, they have influenced the provision of permits for the legalization of unauthorized constructions of several citizens.
Xhesika Tollia është gazetare në “Rrjetin e Raportimit të Krimit të Organizuar dhe Korrupsionit në Shqipëri” (RRKOKSH), ku fokusohet në investigimin dhe raportimin e çështjeve të ndjeshme që lidhen me korrupsionin dhe krimin e organizuar. Ajo ka përfunduar studimet Master në Shkenca Politike në Universitetin e Tiranës, duke i dhënë një bazë të fortë akademike njohurive të saj mbi institucionet, politikën dhe proceset ligjore në Shqipëri.
Gjatë karrierës së saj, Xhesika ka zhvilluar eksperiencë të rëndësishme pranë RTSH-së, ku është përfshirë në përgatitjen dhe realizimin e projekteve mediatike, duke ndihmuar në prodhimin e përmbajtjeve të thelluara dhe informuese për publikun. Ajo është e njohur për qasjen e saj të kujdesshme dhe analitike ndaj lajmeve, duke kombinuar investigimin me raportimin objektiv dhe të detajuar.
