16 November 2021
The Public Commissioner was present today at the Appeal Chamber while continued the judicial review of the appeal filed against the Decision no. 324/2020, of the Independent Qualification Commission, of the assessee, Mr. Sokol Ngresi, judge at Vlora Court of Appeal.
After verifying the presence of the parties in the hearing, the presiding judge invited the Public Commissioner and the assessee to present the final conclusions.
The Public Commissioner, to the importance of transparency to the public, requested whether the presiding judge and the case rapporteur were acquainted with the two acts filed today in the Institution of Public Commissioners by the citizen F.K, and also today were forwarded to the Appeal Chamber, whereby informed about a denunciation that this citizen has made to the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), against the two forensic experts of the Institute of the Scientific Police Directorate and the assessee.
The presiding judge confirmed that she and the case rapporteur were informed through an e-mail by the Institution of Public Commissioners, and that the same practice submitted by the aforementioned citizen was recorded at the Appeal Chamber.
Thereafter, the presiding judge requested to the Public Commissioner whether he had a prior request regarding the above submission.
The Public Commissioner underlined the fact that the investigation related to an alleged undeclared property by the assessee was not component of the seeking appeal, and conveyed to the court the approach for the decision-making, since the investigation was conducted ex-officio by the adjudication panel.
After consultation in the deliberation room, the adjudication panel decided to proceed with the presentation of the final conclusions, emphasizing that the practice administered does not affect the process that is going on at the Chamber.
The Public Commissioner, during the final conclusions, sustained all the appeal grounds and in the analysis of the evidence administered by the Chamber, during the adjudication of the case, also the objections of the assessee himself, concluded that his claims remain unproven. In conclusion, the Public Commissioner requested from the Appeal Chamber the amendment of the decision no. 324/2020, of the Independent Qualification Commission and the dismissal form office of the assessee, Mr. Sokol Ngresi.
The assessee, claimed that the appeal was filed outside the legal time limit and objected the Public Commissioner’s conclusions. Conclusively, he requested from the panel to overturn the decision of the Independent Qualification Commission, deciding not to accept the appeal, otherwise, to uphold it.
The adjudication panel, after hearing the final conclusions, announced that the acts administered in view of the expertise, will be returned to the institutions, and that the panel will withdraw to the deliberation room to take the final decision, which will be announced on November 24, 2021, at 15:00 p.m.
Pursuant to paragraph 1, Article 16 of the regulation of the Institution of Public Commissioners, the appeal and elements of the case are published on the official website of this institution: http://ikp.al/ankime/
The Institution of Public Commissioners has been established and operates under Article 179/b and the Annex of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania and Law No. 84/2016, “On the Transitional Re-evaluation of Judges and Prosecutors in the Republic of Albania”.
The Public Commissioners represent the public interest during the transitional re-evaluation process of judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Albania.