The Special Appeal Chamber held on 29.01.2025, at 10:00, the public hearing of case (JR) 42/2024, dated 28.10.2024, pertaining to the appeal of the Public Commissioner against decision no. 779, dated 28.06.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission, related to the assessee Aurel Zarka.
The presiding judge informed that today, the assessee, Mr. Aurel Zarka, lodged a declaration with the Appeal Chamber, through which he notifies that he has chosen not to participate in the hearing, but to be represented by the lawyer Mr. Julian Mërtiri.
Following the previous hearing, the parties confirmed their acquaintance with the finding of the International Observer and its accompanying acts.
The representative of the Head of the Special Prosecution Office, Mr. Adnan Xholi, after analyzing the above acts, the reports of law enforcement bodies, and the findings of the International Observer, stated that with his behavior, the assessee, Mr. Aurel Zarka, has seriously jeopardized the public’s trust in the justice system and, consequently, fails to meet the constitutional and legal integrity standards necessary for the continuing in his office.
The legal representative of the assessee, Mr. Julian Mërtiri, held that the finding of the International Observer is evasive and unclear, as long as it is supported on acts, the veracity of which depends on the final decision of the ongoing criminal investigation against Mr. Zarka. The legal representative requested the non-admission of this finding as evidence.
The trial panel, after being consulted, decided to accept as evidence the written acts administered by the Chamber, pursuant to the interim decision of the trial panel dated 06.10.2025, the finding of the International Observer, together with the accompanying acts, as well as the positions of the parties on the aforementioned acts held during today’s hearing.
As to the request of the legal representative of the assessee, for the administration of the notification of the decision issued by the High Court to send the case for reconsideration to the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime, the trial panel announced that it may access it through open sources.
Once the parties declared that they had no other procedural requests, the trial panel decided to close the judicial investigation of the case and invited the parties to present their final conclusions at the next hearing to be held on 10.02.2026, at 14.00.
The next public hearing shall take place at the premises of the Special Appeal Chamber, at Boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, no. 3, Tirana.