Today, on 10.12.2024, at 09:00, the Appeal Chamber opened the public hearing of case (JR) 23/2024, dated 25.06.2024, pertaining to the appeal of the Public Commissioner against decision no. 767, dated 29.05.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission, related to the assessee Sofia Zhilla.
During the verification of the presence of the parties, the presiding judge noted the absence of the assessee Sofia Zhilla and announced that until the beginning of today’s hearing the Chamber had received no notification regarding this absence or its reasons. The presiding judge also informed that the assessee has exercised the rights to submit submissions, additional submissions, on December 3 and 4, 2024 respectively, and has submitted several documents, which she requested the trial panel to collect them as evidence.
Given the fact that she has failed to notify any reasonable reason for her absence, the Public Commissioner stated that the trial should continue in the absence of the assessee, Ms. Sofia Zhilla.
The trial panel decided to continue the hearing in her absence and invited the Public Commissioner to present her submissions. The Public Commissioner stated that taking into account the fact that the assessee has reached the retirement age and that the object of the trial has become impossible, she requested the upholding of decision no. 767, dated 29.05.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission. The Independent Qualification Commission had declared the vetting process of the assessee Sofia Zhilla completed without a final decision, as she has lost the status of the assessee.
The trial panel decided to open the judicial investigation of the case and accepted as evidence the acts filed by the assessee, excluding two of them that may be accessed from open sources of information.
Once the trial panel decided to close the judicial investigation of the case, the Public Commissioner requested that the submissions of today’s hearing be considered as final conclusions and requested finally the upholding of decision no. 767, dated 29.05.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission.
The trial panel withdrew in chambers to make the final decision, to be announced on 12.12.2024, at 14:30.
The public hearing shall take place at the premises of the Appeal Chamber, at Boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, no. 3, Tirana.