Closing arguments expected today in the trial of Sami Lushtaku and co-accused for organized crime

At the Basic Court of Prishtina, Sami Lushtaku, mayor of Skenderaj, together with Ismet Haxha, Rrustem Rukolli, Rexhep Xhota, Fatmir Mjaku, Skender Tahiri, Bajram Dibrani and Sheremet Jashari, await the moment of closing statements regarding charges of organized crime and intimidation of protected witnesses in the “Drenica 1” case, KosovaPress reports.

In the preliminary hearing, the defendants chose to exercise their right to remain silent, staying silent throughout the proceedings.

The judicial process at these moments is proceeding only on three counts of the indictment, specifically numbers 16, 17, and 18.

The rest of the case file also included Emrush Thaqi, Shemsi Hajrizi, Sahit Jashari, Mergim Lushtaku, Dardan Geci, Bashkim Dervisholli, Valon Behramaj, Argjent Behramaj, Yll Blakaj, Gzim Ahmeti, Xhevdet Zena, Mervete Hasani-Lushtaku, Agim Ukaj, Ismail Dibrani, Sami Gjoka and Nexhib Shatri.

On April 5, 2018, the Basic Court in Prishtina had decided not to accept the defense lawyers’ requests to dismiss the indictment and challenge the evidence, reasoning that the criminal offense was not time-barred and that the defense did not bring convincing arguments to support the claims. This stance was upheld by the Court of Appeals in July of the same year.

Another separate case, that of the removal of Sami Lushtaku and other persons from the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK), had its epilogue on April 14, 2020. At that time, Lushtaku was in pre-trial detention for the “Drenica” case and was at UCCK for medical services, when the 2014 incident occurred.

Regarding the charge for that escape from UCCK, the judges acquitted the mayor of Skenderaj, but fined him 12,000 euros for two other instances of escape, which were recorded on August 21 and September 22, 2015.

Meanwhile, the indictment by EULEX prosecutor Romulo Matues, filed on November 17, 2016, was precisely related to criminal offenses concerning the removal of Lushtaku and his co-accused from UCCK, all of whom had previously been convicted in the so-called “Drenica Group” and were sent for medical treatment due to their health problems.