The Trial Panel of the Special Panel of Appeals, composed of Presiding Luan Daci, Natasha Mulaj rapporteur, Albana Shtylla, Rezarta Schuetz, Sokol Chomo, members, pronounced the decision on case (JR) no.1 / 2019, dated 08.01.2019, on the appeal of the reassessment subject Alma Liçaj against decision no. 78, dated 15.11.2018 of the Independent Qualification Commission.
At the conclusion of the deliberations in the deliberations chamber, the Trial Panel, by virtue of Article 66, paragraph 1, letter “a” of Law No. 84/2016, “On the Provisional Reassessment of Judges and Prosecutors in the Republic of Albania”, decided unanimously:
Enactment of Decision no. 78, dated 15.11.2018 of the Independent Qualification Commission, belonging to the subject of re-evaluation Alma Liçaj.
This decision is final and has immediate effect.
KPK PROBLEMS:
The president of the Vlora Court of Appeal, Alma Liçaj, was charged with concealing and lacking financial resources for her property consisting of a house and 5 apartments in Vlora and Tirana – while she preferred to avoid explanations by staying in written arguments.
Questions over a long list of assets of unclear origin remained unanswered Tuesday in the face of Vlora Court of Appeals President Alma Liçaj with the Independent Qualification Commission.
The 18-year-old career judge chose to stay with written replies to the Commission without clarifying at the public hearing allegations of inaccurate disclosure, lack of financial resources, and concealment of assets raised by both the High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and also by the Independent Qualification Commission.
The vetting process for the president of the Vlora Court of Appeal included only the property criterion, while the KPC rejected her request to evaluate the other two criteria. According to the panel headed by Lulzim Hamitaj, with rapporteur Jensila Pinen and member Olsi Komicin, arguing for the rejection of Judge Liçaj’s request would be found in the whitewashed decision.
According to rapporteur Jensila Pine, Judge Alma Liçaj and her husband own a 120 m2 house built on 215 m2 of land in Vlora, a 71.80 m2 apartment in the city of Vlora, two apartments in Tirana purchased for 97 664 euros and 60 euros thousand euros as well as two residential units of 43 m2 and 95 m2, along with a garage of 35 square meters in the city of Vlora.
Also, the judge and her husband declared the origin of these debt assets received from third parties in the amount of 60 thousand euros, 30 thousand euros, 70 thousand euros and 12 thousand euros, while in 2016, the judge’s spouse benefited with a brother’s contract of donation of 43 m2, 95 m2 and 35 m2 garage in the city of Vlora.
The rapporteur Xhensila Pine said at the hearing that for the apartment worth 97,664 euros, bought in Tirana in 2009 is declared as a source of debt of 60 thousand euros, the loan taken to brother-in-law of 12 thousand euros and a discount of about 25 thousand euros in price by the construction company.
In addition to the inconsistency of the statements made in 2009 and that of a veteran, Judge Liçaj passed the burden of proof for lack of financial resources for 2009, lack of documents for debt of 60 thousand euros, failure to declare for 5 years debt to brother-in-law as and justification for the work done, which motivates the company to reduce its price.
The judge was also asked to confirm with documents other loans of 30,000 euros and 70,000 euros, which are stated as sources for the increase of wealth and to explain with documentation how the spouse had obtained an apartment from the Electric utility as well as house and land in Vlora by the Executive Committee.
The assets obtained in 2016 through a donation contract from the brother of Judge Liçaj’s spouse were also placed in the focus of the administrative investigation, also because donor Artan Liçaj is also subject to the declaration of assets.
According to Pine’s report, Artan Liçaj’s statement does not appear to have given his brother 43m 43, 95m si garage and 35mazh garage, while the source of the assets remains unclear.
Judge Alma Liçaj was accused of concealing ownership of the 34% stake in the Arnela Construkt company and was asked to explain the bizarre car dealings, from which the spouses claim to have earned substantial income.
The Liçaj couple claimed that a Benz car bought for 50,000 lek in 2003 sold it 10 years later for 15,000 euro, while a second car of the same brand bought it for 600,000 lek and sold it for 20 thousand euros. According to accounts conducted by BIRN, the judge’s family claims to have benefited 5.8 million leks in total from free shopping and salt car sales. / Faxnews /
