TIRANA, Dec. 17 – On Sunday, the vetting process’ appeals panel took a final decision to oust the head of the Constitutional Court Bashkim Dedja, who hardly passed the Independent Qualification Commission’s first round of evaluation.
The three IQC judges who evaluated Dedja’s submitted paperwork were divided upon evaluation, as they saw issues with his accumulated wealth.
The case rapporteur cast suspicions over three apartments purchased by Dedja; one in Tirana in 1997, another in Golem, which Dedja declared was under use, and the third apartment bought in 2013 in Tirana along with a garage, for a value of 180 thousand euro.
Although the IQC reconfirmed Dedja to duty in June with two votes in favor and one against it, the Public Commissioner appealed the decision only a week later.
Concerning the apartments purchased, Dedja had stated that besides the bank loan he had also taken loans without interest from family relatives. According to the Public Commissioner, Dedja’s family relatives were not in the financial position to give those loans so because their income did not justify the wealth.
The Constitutional Court has been out of order for several months, as most of its nine members resigned or were ousted under the reevaluation process. By today’s decision of the Appellate Panel, the only confirmed member is Judge Vitore Tusha who, meanwhile, is also running to take over the leadership of the Supreme State Audit.
