The Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SCOC) today rejected the request of former Minister of Environment, Lefter Koka, for release from detention, leaving the measure of imprisonment in force.
This was Koka’s second attempt to escape from his cell, claiming that his pre-trial detention period in connection with the Tirana incinerator case had expired. The former minister was found guilty of the procedures followed for the construction of the incinerators and was sentenced on April 16, 2025 to three years in prison.
Koka, through a legal request, addressed the court with the claim for “declaring the loss of the power of detention”, referring to Article 263/3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, according to which detention loses its power if, from the day of the first instance conviction, the deadlines have passed without a decision being issued by the court of appeal.
Court documents show that so far, Koka has been found guilty and sentenced for the Elbasan and Fier incinerators, while for the procedures that led to the construction of the Tirana incinerator, the first instance decision was given on April 16, 2025.
The former minister previously appealed to the Special Court for this “finding” in October 2025, but a month later the same case was presented to the GJKKO. Today, the panel led by Miliana Muça decided to leave the security measure of October 24, 2025 unchanged.
Lefter Koka has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison by the Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime for the Elbasan and Fier incinerators cases. In the first instance, Koka was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for “Abuse of office in collaboration”, “Passive corruption of high-ranking state officials” and “Laundering of proceeds of criminal offenses or criminal activity”.
The former minister also had significant assets seized, including several apartments and 88.9% of the shares in the “Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu” liquor winery in Durrës. He was also disqualified from holding public office for five years. According to the competent authorities, Koka’s income did not justify the assets in his name and those of his relatives.
Lefter Koka has been Minister of Environment since 2013, and in September 2021 he resigned from his mandate as an MP, starting a long battle with justice.
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.
