Three cabinet ministers to be questioned on Gerdec blast

TIRANA, Oct 21 – Two ministers of the existing cabinet and also a former one will be likely asked to testify at the prosecutor’s office on the tragedy in Gerdec where the ammunition at a disposal private company factory exploded to kill 26 people and injure 300 others.
Justice Minister Enkelejd Alibeaj, Finance Minister Ridvan Bode and former Justice Minister Aldo Bumci will be questioned on their knowledge on how the Gerdec factory was created and allowed by the government authorities, according to the local media.
They are thought to have knowledge and have prepared the law on the treatment of the armament and ammunition that were not used any more from the army.
Alibeaj had for the time he is to be questioned the post of the premier’s legal adviser.
A local newspaper also wrote Tuesday that Bode has been the only person in the cabinet to have expressed himself against the law on the treatment of the excess ammunition due to the lack of the legal background for that.
The cabinet meeting where that law passed was held in March 2007.
The draft law at the time was prepared by the defense ministry. That has served as a main testimony in questioning former Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu, after his parliamentary immunity was stripped in June.
A former senior official of the defense ministry, owner of the AlbDemil disposal ammunition company and its manager are under arrest and accused of mass murder for the March 15 blast.