Murder of Portuguese tourist in Ksamil / Sokrat Vata’s testimony revealed: I don’t know how I struck him, he came straight at me and…

Sokrat Vata’s testimony in the courtroom has been made public. He is accused of murdering 20-year-old Portuguese national Luis Miguel Varela Mendes in Ksamil.

Top Channel journalist Dorjana Bezat reports that Vata said he stabbed the victim in self-defense, claiming that it was the victim who approached him with a knife.

Before the court, Vata said that a group of French tourists were at the venue and were making noise.

According to Vata, his friend asked them to keep the noise down, but the tourists continued insulting them, after which a physical altercation began.

Vata claimed that during the confrontation, one of the tourists had a knife, which he took from him after subduing him. At that point, according to his testimony, one of the tourists kicked him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

He said that as the tourists attempted to hit him again, he moved his hand instinctively to protect himself, but does not remember how he struck the victim.

“I don’t remember how I struck him. I was in shock. I didn’t know whether any of them had been injured, because there were so many of them. I left because of the shock,” Vata said.

Meanwhile, Turkish national Nuh Mahmutoglu, who knew Vata through their work escorting tourists, said that Vata called him at around 06:30 and asked him to accompany him to Tirana, telling him that he had fallen off his motorcycle.

The other detainees also denied the allegations before the court, saying that they had not seen the moment of the altercation.

At the end of the hearing, the Sarandë court imposed detention in prison on Vata.

The same measure, “detention in prison,” was also imposed on Ezgi Parlak and Nuh Mahmutoglu, the two Turkish nationals who attempted to drive him away by car.

Ildi Cekani and Ardit Kasemi were remanded in custody for a period of 45 days, reports Top Channel correspondent Entjola Budo.

Meanwhile, Luciano Seferi, Moisi Matushaj, Romeo Shehu, Murat Zhabina and Kristo Kosho were ordered to report to the judicial police.