Gerdec-related person released from prison, under house arrest

TIRANA, Feb. 2 – The Supreme Court decided Wednesday to release Dritan Minxolli from prison where he was staying in detention while on trial for the Gerdec blast at the ammunition disposal private factory.
The blast three years ago killed 26 persons, injured 300 others and damaged or destroyed some 5,000 of houses and other buildings.
Minxolli was the manager of the private AlbDemil company operating there. His release was made after the court found out that the detention time had expired and he is now to stay under house arrest.
It may likely be that the same verdict may be taken for Minxolli’s boss Mihal Delijorgji and also Ylli Pinari of the Meico public company operating at the Defense Ministry.
Family members of the dead and injured have strongly complained about the efforts made by the three to be released from detention with different tactics like delaying the trial sessions with absence of any lawyer.
First it was also former defense minister Fatmir Mediu, who joined 28 ministry, army and other officials charged over the blasts. Later Mediu was released from the charges after he renewed his immunity after the 2009 elections.
Albania, a former communist country, joined NATO two years ago, and had about 90,000 tons of excess ammunition stored in old army depots at the time of explosion.
The country’s authorities are still trying to recover excess ammunition, many of them robbed form army depots during the 1997 revolt, pledge to get rid of them by 2014.