The Justice Minister Toni Gogu has ordered an inspection of 24 prisoner transfers carried out over an 11-day period in October, including the transfer of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj from the Durrës pre-trial detention facility to the prison institution in Fier.

The review will examine transfers conducted between October 16 and October 27, a period during which the General Directorate of Prisons reported that 24 inmates had been relocated.

The Justice Ministry is expected to request information on the procedures followed in Veliaj’s case, as questions continue to emerge over the circumstances and administrative handling of his transfer.

The inspection comes after Socialist Party lawmakers Fatmir Xhafaj and Bledi Çuçi sought clarification over whether the General Directorate of Prisons had formally notified the Ministry of Justice about Veliaj’s transfer order. The lawmakers also requested access to the relevant documentation.

The General Directorate of Prisons has maintained that Veliaj’s transfer was carried out in accordance with the legal framework and established procedures. It has also stated that the transfer order is classified as a “state secret” and that the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) was notified.

The minister’s decision to review the 24 transfers could provide further information about the procedures followed by prison authorities during the period under examination. No findings from the inspection have been reported in the information currently available.