Albania’s Special Court of Appeal Against Corruption and Organized Crime has ordered former Environment Minister Lefter Koka to return to prison in connection with the high-profile Tirana incinerator corruption case.

According to the ruling delivered this Thursday by a judicial panel headed by Ilirjana Olldashi, with judges Nertina Kosova and Daniela Shirka as members, Koka must return to jail to serve the remaining six months of his sentence.

The court partially overturned a previous decision that had revoked the security measure of “arrest in prison” for Koka, effectively reinstating his imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the Special Appeals Court upheld the First Instance Court’s verdicts for several other defendants linked to the Tirana incinerator affair.

Bledar Karoli, Taulant Tushe, Namik Simixhiu, and Fatjon Murataj were each sentenced to three years in prison on charges of “abuse of office.” Due to expedited trial procedures, their sentences were reduced to two years.

Valbona Ballgjini received a two-year prison sentence, which was later converted to probation under the shortened trial process.

Sidita Kopliku was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, reduced to one year through expedited proceedings and converted into community service.

Jetmir Llapaj was found guilty of abuse of office in collaboration and sentenced to one year in prison, reduced to eight months under the shortened trial procedure. He was also banned from holding public office for one year.

The Tirana incinerator case remains one of Albania’s most closely watched corruption investigations, involving allegations of abuse of office and irregularities in waste management contracts.