The Special Prosecutor’s Office has started criminal proceedings against the mayor of Kukës Municipality, Safet Gjici, after a video recording emerged in social media, depicting Gjici during intimate moments with a girl in his municipal office.
Gjici offered his resignation after the video scandal broke out, calling it a “trap prepared in details by his political opponents”.
He admitted to having an intimate relation with the girl depicted alongside him in the two-minute-long video that rapidly spread throughout social media, emphasizing that the act is unjustifiable, hence offering his resignation.
SAFET GJICI’S FULL REACTION:
I deeply apologize to everyone who has seen that disgraceful video material today. After a challenging campaign and confrontation with my opponents, in which I emerged as the winner, unfortunately, I fell into a trap carefully set up by the same individuals I faced in the elections. What they couldn’t do with the votes of the people of Kukës, they managed to do it through a vile method.
I am profoundly saddened by the incident, and I am fully aware that in this situation, no explanation holds any value. For some time now, I have had an intimate relationship with the girl in question, but certainly, I have no justification for what has happened, regardless of falling into a trap.
I can no longer be the person working in that state office, as I have betrayed the trust of the thousands of people who believed in me and worked with me to make Kukës a better city.
Apologies to everyone, and gratitude to all those who believed in me and supported me. It was the honor of my life, tarnished by an unforgivable mistake, and today I feel the obligation to resign! May God bless you all!
The Government of Albania decided on Gjici’s discharge from office, with the Minister of Economy confirming the news.
“The Council of Ministers decided to immediately discharge the mayor of the Municipality of Kukës,” said Minister Delina Ibrahimaj after a meeting of the Government this Friday had concluded.
Safet Gjici was reconfirmed mayor of Kukës after the May 14th local elections in Albania.
Running under the Socialist Party banner, Gjici managed to gather 49.7% of the vote in the local election, whereas his opponents, namely Admir Sinamati from the “Together We Win” coalition got 40.98% and Abedin Oruçi from the Party for Europeanization and Integration of Albania got 9.31% of the vote.
Safet Gjici was the SP candidate in the municipality of Kamza in the 2015 local elections, losing those elections to the Democratic Party candidate, Xhelal Mziu.
Gjici was subsequently elected in the 2019 mayoral election of Kukës and won.
Aside from being involved in politics, Gjici is also a businessman and president of the Albanian Superliga football club FK Kukësi.
