Socialist Mayor Agim Kajmaku ‘On the Run’ after Arrest Warrant Issued

The Prosecution in Tirana has issued an arrest warrant for former Socialist Party Mayor of Vora, Agim Kajmaku on grounds of falsification of documents. Police declared him on the run, after they failed to locate the former mayor. On the day of his dismissal by the Central Election Commission (KQZ) on November 1, the media reported that prior to the KQZ decision Kajmaku had dismissed his two deputies. Prosecutors now suspect that Kajmaku falsified the date of his decision, October 31, and abused his office. The former mayor appointed his chief of staff as the only deputy mayor, in an attempt to prevent any of the two deputies from replacing him until new elections in the Municipality of Vora. On November 1, the KQZ dismissed Kajmaku for failing to declare his arrest and investigation in Greece for the use of counterfeit money under the false identity of Jorgo Toto. Following the Democratic Party's denunciation , the above facts were established by the prosecution through the comparison of fingerprint records.

During the electoral campaign for the June 30 elections, Rama had praised Kajmaku as a persevering and hard-working man:

“He is not a man of science, just like me, but a man-of-all-work, a persevering one who accomplishes everything he starts.”

Following accusations, the Socialist Party consistently protected the mayor, with Prime Minister Edi Rama insisting on his clean past by stating that Kajmaku “is a man who never had to pay a fine in his life”. Kajmaku also insisted that he is innocent, refusing to confirm his alias. According to the decriminalization law, anyone lying on the decriminalization form is dismissed from public office and sentenced to imprisonment of 6 months to 4 years. However, the prosecution office demanded Kajmaku's arrest only after allegations that he abused his office by dismissing his two deputies on the day of his own dismissal by the KQZ. Since August, the DP has denounced the hiding of Mayor Agim Kajmaku's past. Kajmaku was the second mayor denounced, after Shkodra Mayor-elect Valdrin Pjetri. Opposition allegations against a third one, Mark Babani of the Municipality of Vau i Dejes, are not yet confirmed nor denied by the prosecution office. Shpërndaje te miqtë