On 21.01.2025, at 10:00, the Appeal Chambe held the public hearing of case (JR) 19/2024, dated 29.05.2024, pertaining to the appeal of the Public Commissioner against decision no. 730, dated 10.01.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission, related to the assessee Valentin Preçi.
During the verification of the presence of the parties, the presiding judge announced the attendance of the Head of the Special Prosecution Office, whose presence in this trial was legitimized under Article 179/b, paragraph 8 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, a provision that determined the transfer of competences from the Public Commissioner to the Head of the Special Prosecution Office.
The Head of the Special Prosecution Office submitted the appeal grounds for all three assessment criteria: Mr. Altin Dumani held that the assessee has failed to dispel the burden of proof for the asset assessment criterion, as has made an incorrect and insufficient declaration and lacks legitimate sources to create his assets; with respect to the background assessment, he maintained that the assessee has failed to correctly complete the background declaration form and has made an insufficient declaration with this regard, and he also requested the trial panel to take into consideration in the overall evaluation of the case certain circumstances described in the appeal grounds that could lead to a potential conflict of interest of the assessee during the exercise of his office and a jeopardizing of the public trust.
The Head of the Special Prosecution Office, referring to the denunciations filed against assessee, requested the Chamber the consideration of certain circumstances that affect the conduct of the magistrate and the professional assessment criteria. The Head of the Special Prosecution Office requested the amendment of decision no. 730, dated 10.01.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission, and the dismissal from office of the assessee Valentin Preçi.
The legal representative and the assessee submitted in detail their objections regarding the appeal grounds for the three assessment criteria, considering them unfounded in law and evidence, unfair and guided by an erroneous logic. In support of their claims, the assessee and the legal representative lodged also several acts, which they requested the trial panel to collect them as evidence.
The Head of the Special Prosecution Office stated that from a formal point of view, the acts meet the legal criteria to be admitted as evidence.
The trial panel, after being consulted, decided to open the judicial investigation to allow the admission as evidence of all acts submitted by the assessee.
Subsequently, the assessee responded to several questions of the Head of the Special Prosecution Office and the observer of the International Monitoring Operation to the purpose of the consideration of the case.
The presiding judge informed that during today’s hearing, a new denunciation against the assessee had been filed with the Chamber and that it would be made available to the parties. During the
next hearing to be held on 05.02.2025, at 09:00, the parties shall have a stand with respect to this denunciation, and shall need to be prepared for the final conclusions of the case.
The public hearing shall take place at the premises of the Appeal Chamber, at Boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, no. 3. Tirana.