Twelve years after the trial was shelved away, the Albanian justice system decided to reopen the case on who was to be blamed for the tragic event and put the former defense minister in front of his responsibilities.
Fatmir Mediu was one of the 29 people indicted for the death of 26 citizens following the explosion at a factory in Gerdec used to dismantle ammunition.
The former minister was accused of abuse of office, as per the Criminal Code and the Military Criminal Code. But on September 14, 2009, the Criminal College of the High Court dismissed the case, as Mediu was elected in parliament and was shielded by diplomatic immunity.
Today, the Special Appeal Court pushed forward to reopen the trial, after SPAK’s request.
But what happened with the Gerdeci case? Who was convicted? What happened with the families of the victims throughout these years? Below, a brief summary.
21 people were convicted – some in absentia – but the majority of the sentences were either dropped or minimized to more lenient punishments.
Who was found guilty?
- Ylli Pinari, 18 years prison term – former director of the state-owned company “Military Export Import Company (MEICO)”, under the ministry of defense, responsible for dismantling, import/export of the ammunition.
- Dritan Minxolli, 18 years prison term – Manager of Albdemil, the company carrying out the dismantling in Gerdec.
- Mihal Delijorgji, 10 years prison term – Subcontractor of the American Company SAC, contracted by MEICO, owner of Albdemil, the company carrying out the dismantling in Gerdec.
- Sokol Ngjeci, 10 years prison term – Manager, MEICO official
- Luan Hoxha, 5 years prison term – former chief of staff of the Albanian Army, convicted in absentia, fled to the United States in 2012, granted political asylum.
None of the above-mentioned are in prison today.
The Gerdec factory, around 21 kilometers northwest of Tirana, began operating in 2007 after a contract was signed between MEICO and an American company named SAX Inc. The factory was mainly used to dismantle old shells of the Albanian army.
SAC Inc contracted Albdemil, which then continued to dismantle high-caliber shells.
A huge blast rocked the dismantling sector on March 15, 2008, leaving 26 dead, over 200 injured, and thousands required to evacuate the area.
The American company SAC Inc, or those responsible for safety and security in the workplace, were never fully probed into.
The Albanian State paid the funeral costs and allocated funds for the reconstruction of the areas damaged by the strong blast.
Albdemil was ordered to pay €120,000, while the families of the victims filed for compensation.
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