The Special Court has sentenced former police operational chief Oltion Bistri to seven years and four months in prison after finding him guilty of passive corruption and money laundering, in addition to disclosing classified information.

The ruling overturns his previous two-year sentence and reinstates the confiscation of three apartments, two commercial properties and approximately €1 million in cash.

Bistri was arrested in July 2023 and released in November last year after his initial sentence was considered served through pretrial detention. Under the new ruling, he is expected to serve approximately three years and ten months more.

The decision is part of the high-profile “Metamorfoza” case, which uncovered alleged links between organized crime figures, business interests and law enforcement officials in Albania.