"It's not up to me to say whether Lali Eri is innocent", Rama: Justice is in his hands, I wish him a dignified trial

From "Skënderbej" Square at the meeting with 6,000 employees of the Municipality of Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama left it to the justice system to determine whether or not Mayor Erion Veliaj is guilty of the charges brought against him.

"It is not up to me to say whether Lali Eri is innocent or guilty, and regardless of what we think here, my burden is to stand by my opinion in this case and let justice resolve this dilemma, supporting the independence of the judicial bodies," said the head of government.

But Rama demanded that despite Veliaj's battle with justice, the Socialists of Tirana not give up, especially when the country is on the eve of the parliamentary elections on May 11.

"We must grit our teeth, we must endure and continue to fight. Sometimes these damages are truly as painful as they are unfair, but whoever leads should not be swayed by any pain on the right path of fulfilling the visions for which they have chosen," Rama emphasized.

The Prime Minister further defined the main objective of the Municipality staff and its employees, while guaranteeing that he will be by their side until justice decides for Veliaj.

"Your common burden is that the machinery of the Municipality of Tirana does not turn off for a minute, but continues to run 24 hours a day in all directions. I am here to tell all of you that until the issue of the Mayor is addressed in one form or another, my attention to Tirana, the municipality, the problems and needs of your work will be uninterrupted."

He concluded his speech by asking the Prosecutor's Office and the Special Court to stop the practice of imprisoning mayors without trial.

"I hope and still want to believe that beyond what they think about his guilt, the justice systems will grant the mayor of Tirana the elementary right to a dignified trial, putting an end to the brutal practice of handcuffing mayors and state employees without trial when they have neither been caught red-handed, nor have any evidence to back up, nor do they pose a risk of fleeing." (A2 Televizion)