Man risked spending time in jail for stealing umbrella
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TIRANA, April 25 – An unemployed man accused of stealing a parasol in Berat, southern Albania narrowly escaped a jail sentence after prosecution in the case insisted on giving him jail time for the deed. Dritan Telegrafi, 46, charged with theft spent three days in pre-trial detention, while prosecutors requested prison time for the defendant in two diffrent trials.
“I am unemployed and I collect soda cans at night. Four months ago, I noticed an umbrella in the street blown by the wind, which I took home and later sold,” Telegrafi told the court. Despite the insignificant value of the stolen item, prosecution meant serious business by appealing the verdict of the first instance court asking for the defendant to spend time in jail for the stolen sunshade.
However, the unusual request was turned down by the Appeal’s Court in Vlore also. The odd case received media coverage since it was contradictory with declarations made by the Prosecutor General and the Justice Minister who have repeatedly called for alternative sentences to be applied for lesser crimes not only to ease overcrowding in prisons, but also in order to lower state costs. While despite the petty nature of the crime, prosecution in this case stubbornly insisted on sending the man behind bars.
Nonetheless, prosecutor’s efforts to have the man imprisoned failed, and the defendant in the umbrella case was set free with the obligation to report to authorities once a week. Meanwhile, taxpayers incurred considerable costs as a result of the unusual legal process.
