Former police officer says Socialist government MPs held him at gunpoint
Story Highlights
- In the video published by opposition leader Lulzim Basha for the media, Nuhu, in an interview with the journalist Basir Collaku, said that he was threatened by Rraja and his brother, in Balla’s and Bushi’s presence and alleged he was threatened to stop investigations on rape accusations against Rraja’s son, Rexhep.
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TIRANA, Sept. 27 - Albania’s opposition Democratic Party published on Wednesday a video-testimony of former police officer in the Fushe-Kruje Police Department Emiljano Nuhu saying he was held at gunpoint by Socialist MPs Taulant Balla and Rrahman Rraja and Kruja’s Mayor Artur Bushi.
In the video published by opposition leader Lulzim Basha for the media, Nuhu, in an interview with the journalist Basir Collaku, said that he was threatened by Rraja and his brother, in Balla’s and Bushi’s presence.
Further on, Nuhu alleged he was threatened to stop investigations on rape accusations against Rraja’s son, Rexhep.
“An unprotected girl was violated, raped, kidnapped and tortured systematically. It is a monstrous crime that deserves the most severe punishment. Above all, this is a state crime, so justice must come not only to inhumane sadist Rexhep Rraja, but also to those who gave state protection to the criminal: Rrahman Rraja, Artur Bushi and Taulant Balla, a bandit politician immersed in the world of crime,” Basha said.
According to Nuhu, different police stations in Fushe-Kruje had refused to take the girl’s charges out of fear of political persecution and that Rexhep, being interrogated by Nuhu, had called his father and within 30 minutes he’d arrived, accompanied by Balla and Bushi.
So far, Rrahja and Balla have completely denied any accusation against them.
Rrahja told local media that he has never met Nuhu and that the accusations against him are made up.
"My son had issues with a girl two years ago, they broke up and he dated another. The break up has been clarified in the police department. In fact, she made a statement two days after (then) Prime Minister Berisha made his Facebook post, saying that Rrahman Rraja's family is the most respected family in the Kruja district and that with these posts they want to reduce the dignity and integrity of this family,” Rrahja said.
Balla, on the other hand, said he has been in possession of Nuhu’s letter for two weeks now and called the confession a fake, calling it the second ‘Babale’ case.
“Today I want you to denounce in front of you the shameful involvement of the DP in defamation and bombardment of the highest Socialist Party representatives. This mud accompanied by shameful acts that constitute a criminal offense, as in the case of Babale. Everything is being cooked inside the DP building,” Balla said.
In line with the two, Bushi has denied knowing Nuhu altogether and said he was not at that particular police station the date Nuhu claims and that security cameras can prove that.
“I don’t know the officer in question. I don’t know his name and I've never met. At the same time, it is not even the case that I have been in that police station, either alone, or with what the officer or former officer now claims.
On Thursday, Balla, who is also the head of the Socialist parliamentary group, filed criminal charges in the prosecution against Basha, accusing him of abuse of office and false denunciation, following Nuhu’s testimony.
The girl in question, Xhisiela Maloku, also gave an interview with Albanian media, where she was in line with Rraja’s side of the story and said Nuhu’s testimony is “90 percent a lie.”
Meanwhile, Tirana Prosecution has begun investigation on Nuhu’s testimony.
The prosecution has filed the sound and film material of Nuhu’s testimony, while the object of the investigation is to verify the circumstances of the testimony.
The Prosecution is also conducting preliminary actions to assess whether there are elements of a criminal offense. The investigation team is expected to observe the entry and exit register of the Kruja Police Department.
