The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, has reacted to his arrest following a request from SPAK and a decision by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO). Writing on his Facebook page, Veliaj expressed his disappointment over the charges against him, dismissing them entirely. He asserted his belief that the truth would come to light.

Full Statement:

“I am not surprised by this absurd ending to a long chapter of dragging me through the mud—both in the mouths of the media hounds and the hands of a lunatic prosecutor who is a living insult to human intelligence. But this is just the first chapter.

Now, I am no longer bound to stay silent about what my family has endured and what I have heard under the roof of SPAK. Like everyone else, I respected our political stance—not to comment on an open judicial process.

Believe me, it is not easy to stay silent when it feels like cigarette butts are being put out on your skin from the absurdities uttered by a prosecutor who left no witness unthreatened. I did it because I believed it was the right thing to do, and I do not regret biting my tongue.

I do not believe the media will have the courage to break down one by one the ridiculous accusations made against me, and I am deeply saddened that some entrepreneurs have fallen into the hands of that ignorant, lustful prosecutor just because they sponsored cultural events for Tirana.

I feel sorry for Ajola, who was not even allowed to take our son to and from school—but even that does not surprise me.

I feel sorry for my mother, who has endured heartbreak through every battle of mine over the past 20 years, facing endless hardships despite a life of sacrifices.

I feel sorry for all my colleagues, collaborators, and employees of the Municipality of Tirana, and I want them to know that I have absolutely no connection to the nonsense written in that ridiculous indictment, unfortunately bearing the signature of Altin Dumani.

I feel sorry for my brothers and sisters in the Socialist Party and for our chairman, who, after so many electoral battles together, might not have me by his side in this campaign—since, as it appears, I am being imprisoned without trial just three months before the elections.

To all of them, I say what I have told the chairman and anyone else who has asked me: My family and I have absolutely no connection to the word ‘corruption.’

Our story is so tragically comical that people will not believe it when they hear, one by one, the absurdities of these charges broken down. It will not be easy, as under these conditions, I cannot explain myself as much as I want, but I have great faith that the truth is stronger than any wall and stronger than any fool who tries to stand in its way by abusing the power of justice.”