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Investigations/ Tonin Marinaj was photographed in Florence, accused of holding meetings for drug deals

2024-08-26 11:00:00, Aktualitet CNA

Investigations/ Tonin Marinaj was photographed in Florence, accused of holding

Tonin Marinaj, head of the Municipality of Malësë e Madhe

New details have emerged from the investigation file of the Florence prosecutor's office provided by CNA for the mayor of Malësi e Madhe, Tonin Marinaj.

The latter has been accused by the Prosecutor's Office of Florence of having founded and directed an organization of international proportions, based mainly in Tuscany, Venice, Udine and Albania, for the trafficking of marijuana.

The Florence prosecutor's office completed the investigation in the spring of 2016, and in the hundreds of pages of the file that it referred to the court, Marinaj is accused of running a group that trafficked drugs from Albania to Italy. (read here)

From the investigations of the prosecutor's office, it was found that the socialist mayor followed the entire route of drugs from production to retail sale. The narcotics were obtained in Albania, which, after arriving in Italy, were handed over to the couriers, who started the distribution on the ground. ( read here)

The Prosecutor's Office of Florence was able to secure photos, meetings, and telephone conversations of the mayor of Malësi e Madhe , who is accused of having communicated with members of the criminal gang for drug trafficking. It is even noted in the file that he was photographed during meetings and intercepted in telephone conversations.

INVESTIGATIONS

According to the Italian prosecutor's office, on July 17, 2010, Marinaj went to Florence to request logistical support from Lodovick Gjokaj, manager of a bar in the "San Lorenzo" market. The authorities accuse Marinaj of going to Fierence also because of the management of a load of marijuana, as well as to collect the money from the sale of some quantities of drugs.

"As better described in his personal file, Tonin Marinaj, a few days after the aforementioned phone call, precisely on July 17, 2010, went to Florence, seeking logistical support from Lodovick Gjokaj, manager of a bar in the San Lorenzo market, area of called the "Medici Chapel". The arrival of the Marines in Florence was due to the direct management of the Mariana cargo deposited in the area of ??"Via Fratelli Benini" and to manage the collection of money that day, together with one of his associates, probably his wife Lindita's cousin, went to Lodovick Gjokaj's bar where he spent time with the latter's brother, Eduard Gjokaj, and then went together with the latter and his companion to the Piazza Salvemini, where they had two phone conversations. In the photo: The man in the striped shirt is Eduard Gjokaj, the man in the blue shirt is Tonin Marinaj, the man in the lilac plant color is Tonin Marinaj's companion," the investigation file states. the Italian prosecution which is over 200 pages.

Italian prosecutor's investigations

In the investigative file it is also underlined that on July 17, 2010, a person went to Florence to pick up Toni Marinaj at the exit of the "Firenze Nord" highway. According to the prosecutor's office, these details have emerged from the wiretapping of Eduard Gjoka's phone number.

"After taking Toni Marinaj, he accompanied him to the Lombardy area where he would be met by the person known from the investigation as Artur, who was paid by Toni Marinaj to give instructions to Fredinand Paja regarding the delivery of the money to in connection with a previous group of drugs, which was expected to be delivered on July 19, 2010 in the Florentine territory," the investigative file states, among other things.

Italian prosecutor's investigations

We emphasize that CNA will continue to publish all documents of the authorities that it has in relation to these investigations. Until the moment of the publication of the investigation file of the Italian authorities, CNA has tried several times to communicate with the socialist mayor Tonin Marinaj regarding this issue, but he has not answered our calls. In posts on social networks, he rejected all the accusations. (read here)

It all started after a denunciation made by the Democratic Party, which asked the General Prosecutor's Office to verify, according to the decriminalization law, the mayor of Malësë e Madhe, Tonin Marinaj. (read here)

After the request of the DP, the Central Election Commission also started the movements, which on July 11 decided to start the in-depth verification for the socialist mayor. In relation to this issue, CNA has officially addressed the CEC on how these verifications are proceeding and whether it was aware of the investigations against the mayor. We have not yet received an official response.

After these investigations, Tonin Marinaj has declared in the self-declaration form made on March 24, 2023, that he has never been convicted by a final judicial decision by any Albanian or foreign judicial authority. (read here)

Likewise, the socialist mayor has denied that he was under investigation or trial by a foreign authority for any criminal offense./CNA