The Appeal Chamber held on 16.01.2026, at 09:30, the public hearing of case (JR) no. 21/2024, dated 06.06.2024, pertaining to the appeal of the Public Commissioner against decision no. 743, dated 19.03.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission, related to the assessee Gentian Hamiti.
The presiding judge announced that Article 179/b, paragraph 8 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania has set forth the transfer of powers from the Public Commissioner to the Head of the Special Prosecution Office. Pursuant to Article 199, paragraph 2, of the Civil Procedure Code, the trial panel decided on the procedural transfer from the Public Commissioner to the Head of the Special Prosecution Office, Mr. Klodjan Braho, present at the hearing.
During the submission of the appeal grounds, the Head of the Special Prosecution Office stated that with regard to the asset assessment criterion, the explanations of the assessee remain unproven, at a declarative level, incorrect, unconvincing and unreliable. Mr. Klodjan Braho requested the Chamber that in the overall evaluation of the case, to take also into consideration the findings of the International Observer of the International Monitoring Operation regarding the background and proficiency criteria, assessing them according to Article 4, paragraph 2 of Law no. 84/2016, within the framework of Article 61, paragraph 5 of the same law. The Head of the Special Prosecution Office stated that during the AC proceedings, the assessee is entitled to lodge additional evidence and arguments in disputing the appeal, but referring to the current state of the acts, Mr. Braho requested the amendment of decision no. 743, dated 19.03.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission and the dismissal from office of the assessee Gentian Hamiti.
The assessee provided his explanations in objecting of the appeal grounds, maintaining that the acts of the case file and the exhaustive responses prove that the findings for the three vetting assessment criteria are unfounded and that they do not stand. In support of his claims, the assessee filed new acts, which he requested to be admitted as evidence. Mr. Gentian Hamiti requested the Chamber to reopen the judicial investigation in order to investigate the circumstances under these new acts, not previously reviewed by the vetting bodies; to dismiss the appeal as not objective and in conflict with the standards of the vetting process; and to uphold decision no. 743, dated 19.03.2024 of the Independent Qualification Commission.
After being consulted, the trial panel decided to open the judicial investigation of the case by accepting to collect as evidence the acts submitted by the assessee with the submissions and cited in today’s hearing. It also decided to collect as evidence the acts found in the case file linked with the Special Appeals Chamber decision no. 59, dated 22.07.2025, regarding the related person Armida Hamiti, related to the asset assessment criteria of the assessee.
When requested by the presiding judge, the Head of the Special Prosecution Office stated that he did not consider submitting any request to be acquainted with the acts of the case file of the related person.
Once the parties stated that they had no procedural requests, the trial panel decided to close the judicial investigation of the case and invited them to submit their final conclusions. In order to allow the parties reasonable time for their preparation, it was decided to postpone the hearing to 22.01.2026, at 13:00.
The public hearing shall take place at the premises of the Special Appeal Chamber, at Boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, no. 3, Tirana.