There are no witnesses in the trial against the former minister Lekaj in the case of the 53 million

In Wednesday's session for the case known as the "53-millionaire", where among others the former Minister of Infrastructure, now deputy of AAK, Pal Lekaj, is accused, there were no witnesses.

Georgios Papaioannou, representative of the "Hill International" company, highway project manager Arbën Xhaferi and Riyadh Alkhazrahi, representative of "Bechtel&Enka" did not appear in the hall to testify.

Prosecutor Atdhe Dema requested that their police interview in 2019 be accepted as evidence, due to the impossibility of bringing the witnesses to Kosovo.

The defense insisted that their testimony be heard, "as they have questions they want to ask the witnesses".

The judge of the case rejected the request of prosecutor Dema. 

In the case of the 53 million accused of abuse of office are the former Minister of Infrastructure, Pal Lekaj, Eset Berisha, senior political advisor to Pal Lekaj, Nebih Shatri, former Secretary General in the Ministry of Infrastructure (MI) as and Besim Tahirit, director of Public Procurement in this ministry.

In the initial hearing held on May 4, 2022, Lekaj and the others pleaded not guilty to the criminal offense they were charged with.

also Arberi 15 May 2023 The court session fails in the case of the 53-millionaire, the judge undergoing medical treatment

On February 4, 2022, the Special Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK) filed an indictment against Lekaja, Berisha and Shatri.

Meanwhile, on February 9, 2022, the PSRK announced that in connection with this case, an indictment was also filed against Besim Tahir on February 8.

According to the indictment filed on February 4, 2022 by the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo, Pal Lekaj, in the capacity of the Minister of the Ministry of Infrastructure (MI), Eset Berisha, his senior political advisor, Nebih Shatri, as Secretary General in this Ministry, in cooperation and intentionally with the defendant Besim Tahiri, director of Public Procurement in MI, are accused of misuse of official duties.