The review of a request filed with the High Prosecutorial Council by the candidate for Prosecutor General, Ylli Pjetërnikaj, requesting the exclusion of member Vatë Staka from the selection procedures caused fierce debates and other requests for exclusions from the members of the KLP themselves.
At Friday’s plenary meeting, the agenda item related to Pjetërnika’s request for Staka’s exclusion was read, but the latter requested that member Zeqir Hodo be excluded from the procedure for reviewing and deciding on this request. From what was heard from the discussions during the meeting, Staka stated that Hodo had had communications with Pjetërnika even after he had left his position as an advisor to the KLP. According to Staka, a draft of a council regulation was sent to Hodo by Pjetërnika via a private email, when the latter was no longer part of the commission for drafting the regulation.
Based on these circumstances, Staka requested the exclusion of Hodo from the review and decision-making procedure regarding the request filed by Pjetërnika.
Member Ledina Riza drew attention to the fact that in a similar case, at today's meeting, the exclusion of two other members was requested, both for the one for whom the exclusion was requested and for the one who requested it. Drawing attention to the importance of the process for the selection of the new Prosecutor General, she requested, among other things, that the sending of requests to the HIDACCI for the verification of candidates be continued as soon as possible. She requested that all members of the KLP be present in this process.
Member Zeqir Hodo stated that he was not impressed by such a search and that he was glad that an important procedure was receiving this attention from the council itself. He asked for time to give a position regarding Staka's request.
Next, Hodo requested that Pjetërnika's request for Staka's exclusion be read, considering it important for the public to know.
"It should be read word for word. I want to hear Mr. Pjetërnikaj's request read word for word, in full, so that we are equal in this procedure. To read that you have a microphone, and not to read the object, this is also discriminatory," said Hodo, noting that Staka's participation was guaranteed in a procedure in which the request for him not to participate in the selection of the Prosecutor General was being reviewed. "Meanwhile, the object was not made known," said Hodo.
Member Sokol Stojani stated in Friday's session that it should have been discussed first whether Hodo should have been part of the procedure for reviewing Pjetërnikaj's request or not, noting that Staka had made the request in a synthetic and reasoned manner. According to him, Staka's request for Hodo's exclusion should have been addressed first, and then Pjetërnikaj's request.
Hodo described the position of member Sokol Stojani as similar to the argument for his exclusion, thus requesting the exclusion of colleague Stojani. Hodo noted that, given what colleagues were requesting, it remained to first consider his request for Stojani's exclusion, then Staka's request for his exclusion, and finally the agenda item, regarding Pjetërnika's request for the exclusion of member Vatë Staka from the procedure for selecting the Prosecutor General.
Stojani described Hodo's request as unfounded, stating that he had given his opinion regarding Staka's request.
In conclusion, the session was adjourned to give members time to draft and present their position, while the subject of candidate Pjetërnikaj's request for the exclusion of member Vatë Staka remained unknown to the public.
For the position of Prosecutor General, with a 7-year mandate, SPAK prosecutor Adnan Xholi; former Acting Prosecutor General Arta Marku; Eurojust prosecutor Fatjona Memçaj and Tirana prosecutors Rovena Zoto and Ylli Pjetërnikaj are competing. /Taken from Reporter.al
