Wednesday's hearing at the Basic Court in Pristina against Jeton and Nexhat Vllasali, who are accused of the murder of businessman Bedri Rexhepi, continued with the defense of the accused. The accused Jeton gave his version of how the incident happened and how he had now buried the deceased. Meanwhile, the accused Nexhat said that even today he does not know the truth and that he has nothing to do with the case.
During the defense, the accused Jeton said that he was on his way by car with the now deceased Rexhepi, when they were stopped by four people. He said that he left the car with two of them who were masked, while the now deceased was at a distance of 40 meters with two others, which lasted about two minutes, reports "Betimi për Drejtësi".
According to him, when those people left, they told him that from now on he had business with him (Bedri Rexhepi) and that when he approached him, he saw that he was on the ground.
"The moment they released me, they said two words to me: 'What are you doing with the honorable Bedriu, because we left him here, you have to deal with them.' And I went closer and saw him on the ground, I tried to give him first aid as much as I knew and could, but I saw that it was useless," said the accused Jeton.
The accused said that he was very stressed and busy that day and that he had tried to give first aid, but that it had no effect. He said that it seemed right to him to bury the deceased himself somewhere.
"Maybe because I was the first to help, I was able to hurt him, I opened the car, put him in the chair and continued to my village... a cart and a pickaxe, and I wrapped the body of the deceased and took him with that car, it seemed to me that it was the safest place to bury the deceased," said the accused Jeton.
He said that he had now taken the deceased to the fields of Janjeva and left him there, then set off on foot, and that he had then met his brother - now the accused Nexhat - whom he had called, and they had set off by car.
"The next day I was completing a project in the village of Llapashtica, I had an aggregate and a few tools that I had left over since I was just finishing it, and I took the aggregate and brought it to Nexhat where he was working in Hajvali," he said.
The accused told him that he had been arrested five days before the incident and that during this time he had not spoken to anyone about the incident.
"I don't know, I don't know why I didn't report it, although now the car was found and the conversations started. I was also at the police station in Lipjan, the next day on the 9th, but I didn't tell how the incident happened," he said.
According to him, on the day his brother Nexhati and his sister-in-law were arrested, they were brought together at the prosecutor's office, because he said he did not remember where he had taken the deceased because it was night.
"We talked to Nexhat at the prosecutor's office about losing my place, I couldn't find it because I hadn't moved that place since the war and I wasn't sure where I could have it," said the accused Jeton.
According to him, there is no cemetery in that place, but it is a mountain, in which their mountains also appear.
The accused admitted that he has given several versions of the case, but added that the one he gave today is the most accurate.
"Yes, the change, lawyer, is because at the prosecutor's office during my interview where I was being questioned by the prosecutor and investigators, I was served a letter in front of me and they told me that it came from, it is a court order if you do not admit the crime, they must also arrest our wife because it was not enough for them to arrest the 19-year-old, they arrested the sister-in-law, they arrested the completely innocent brother. They wanted to arrest my wife too and I was afraid for the children because they were young, my brother's child and I wanted to take on a crime that I did not commit," said the accused Jeton.
The presiding judge, Medie Bytyqi, said that during the psychiatric examination, no psychiatric problems were identified in the defendant at this time.
In the end, the accused Jeton expressed his condolences to Bedri Rexhepi's family and said that he wishes to remain silent.
On the other hand, the accused Nexhat said that he does not know why he was arrested and that he is being accused of the murder of a person he never knew.
"I have been arrested, I don't even know the details of why I was arrested, they are accusing me of the murder of the now honorable Bedri Rexhepi, who I regret is not among us, who I have never known in my life nor did I know who he is, nor what or where he exists. Never in my life, with full conviction. I swear on the heads of my three children, I would not find any of them at home, today I would receive the news that I am completely dead if only someone could say that Nexhati knows him, or has known him or had coffee with him, or talked on the phone with him, whatever it may be," he said.
The accused says that "it would be better if he were later drowned" than to be arrested together with his wife for someone he didn't even know.
He says his brother was arrested on the first day of Ramadan, when the family was expecting him to deliver bread.
"When Jetoni was arrested, I don't remember the date 15-16, I'm not sure, it was the first day of Ramadan.. Jetoni's daughter came and asked me, "Can you call my dad? Dad hasn't called, he hasn't even brought us bread, he's supposed to bring the bread home. I picked him up and called him on the phone, he hasn't called me, I said, "I'm going to buy bread because he hasn't called," he said.
Defendant Nexhat said that the police called him and told him that they had arrested his brother, but that they did not tell him the reason, only that they told him that they could hire a lawyer.
"The next day or the day after, I called the lawyer, he told me, he said that Jetoni had lost a friend. I went to work, I continued working as always, it was in the media, this thing became a big deal, that's all," he said, adding that his brother had told him during the visit that he knew nothing about where the deceased was now and that it had nothing to do with the case.
When the Drenas hoxha, Mulla Osmani, who had been hired by someone from the Rexhepi family, called him, he says he was willing to help, but that it had nothing to do with this case.
"I met with Mulla Osman, Ismet, and I think he was the brother of the now deceased. We talked, I said I'm sorry, I didn't even know these Rexhepi family members, he said what do you know and what can I contribute, I have nothing to do with this matter. I swear I told you on the children's behalf that I have nothing to do with it, if it is proven that I know something and don't want to tell them, I owe them a blood debt. I didn't know, and I don't know the truth today," he said.
When asked about a sketch that the accused Jeton had drawn of where he buried the victim, the accused Nexhat stated that Jeton had drawn it. He said that he had asked his brother to tell him if he knew the truth.
"I was in Gjilan at the time, they took me to Prishtina to the Prosecutor's Office where I met Jetoni, and a day before Jetoni was at the scene of the crime. I said Jetoni, if you know where he is, for God's sake, report him where he is and what he has to do with this, because my soul is tired, my wife is in prison, I am in prison, my child is left on the streets... Then I don't remember well whether it was the prosecutor or an investigator, could you tell me to make a sketch, no I said I can't draw because I don't know. They brought us a letter with a pencil and Jetoni said yes, he made a drawing, I didn't understand it well, he reported it to me roughly, I tried hard to think but I don't know the exact place where he is", he said.
The accused Nexhat was also questioned regarding the communications he had the day after the incident with the accused Jeton at the place where the deceased was suspected to have been buried, and which the Prosecution was eavesdropping on.
"We couldn't go by car to where the police and prosecutor were, we got off on foot and walked, Jeton was inside the jeep and they put a body armor on me, I said I don't need these, I don't owe anyone, I took it off. We sat in the jeep, Jeton said we have a bugger and I know it's no problem if you have one, he said yes I'm interested in finding it but it's taking me a little while", he said.
The same person emphasized that they continued up and down the mountain searching, and that he had behaved a little badly with his brother, for which the prosecutor had called him, saying "you shoot at us too, not at him". He said that the prosecutor had asked him to convince Jeton to find that place, telling him that he would then be released with his wife.
Judge Bytyqi asked him to explain a conversation that had been held sometimes in a low voice and sometimes in a loud voice, telling him why he had given instructions to Jeton in a low voice, while he had prayed to find the place where Rexhepi was buried, out loud.
She also read this part to him, saying: "Live in a very low voice and ask, "Is it up there?" You answer, "I don't know, brother, I'm looking for you." Again, Live in a low voice and ask, "Is it up there?" You answer, "No, not at all."
"I don't remember, I don't remember, I don't know," says the accused Nexhat.
Meanwhile, the member of the trial panel, Gent Beka, read him a part of the wiretap transcript: "Live in a very low voice," the curtain said, while you responded in a very low voice, "to the right," and then continued in a raised voice, "what a fool I am."
"The prosecutor said the curtain is lower, while the body is higher, the prosecutor knows better," the accused said.
Also, the accused Nexhat said that he went to pick up his brother Jeton after he asked him to do so over the phone, telling him that he was on his feet. He said that when he arrived, he thought he was talking to someone on the phone.
Prosecutor Armend Hamiti asked the accused Nexhat if he is saying that he has always been interested in uncovering the truth, why has he never mentioned until now that he went to pick up his brother, Jeton.
The accused initially said that he declared this to the Prosecutor's Office, but then stated that no one asked him.
He was also asked why the wiretaps were obstructed if they were to uncover the truth.
"I'm not bothered by the wiretapping, I begged them, I told them not to take it out on anyone," the accused said.
Also, the accused Nexhat was asked why Jetoni, in his statement, which is consistent with the Prosecution's material evidence, also mentioned that they had sent the body and buried it.
"I don't know who's talking about what, I was talking about myself, I have nothing to do with it, even today I'm happy to know the truth, believe me, believe me I don't know, I have no connection nor have I ever had. Today I've been unjustly held in prison for three years," he said.
The hearing is expected to continue in the afternoon session.
According to the indictment of the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Pristina, Jeton and Nexhat Vllasaliu are charged with the criminal offense of "Aggravated murder", from article 173, paragraph 1.6 and 1.4 related to article 31 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo (KPRK).
In the indictment it is stated that from January 9, 2021 to April 8, 2021, the defendants Vllasaliu, in co-perpetration after the preliminary agreement, had started planning to deprive the injured Bedri Rexhepi of his life, with the aim of obtaining financial benefit.
The same are also charged with the criminal offense "Damage to graves or corpses", under Article 413, paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 31 of the Criminal Code./Oath for Justice
