The Durrës Court announced this Tuesday that it lacks jurisdiction to handle the request of the elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, and has transferred the case for assessment to the Supreme Court.

According to reports, Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Himara, had submitted a request to the Durrës Court to take his oath as the mayor.

The court session was attended by the Greek Ambassador to Tirana, Kostantina Kamitsi, as well as Vangjel Dule, the head of the Unity for Human Rights Party.

On September 14, the Special Court against Organized Crime and Corruption decided to refer Beleri’s case for trial. He was arrested on charges of active corruption during the elections.

Beleri was apprehended two days before the local elections on May 14. The prosecution claimed that wiretap evidence indicated that he had offered money in exchange for votes in his favor.

Beleri has vehemently denied these charges and has portrayed the case as politically motivated. His requests to change the security measures imposed on him have been consistently denied by all levels of the judiciary, prompting him to resubmit the same request.