Parties
Top Channel: Çuçi tells minister Gogu to resign over Veliaj's transfer; Balla does not deny it
According to Top Channel, lawmaker Bledi Çuçi asked the justice minister for the mayor's transfer document at a meeting of the Socialist group. Balla does not deny it, but says the meeting was held behind closed doors.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 29, 2026, 16:30 · Updated 18:43 · 2 min read
In brief
- According to Top Channel's sources, Çuçi told Toni Gogu that if he did not have the transfer letter, he should resign.
- Taulant Balla neither confirmed nor denied the exchange, saying the topics of group meetings are not shared with the public.
- In Tirana's Municipal Council, Socialist and Democratic councilors called for transparency over Veliaj's transfer.
The transfer of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj from Durrës prison to the one in Fier has caused a clash inside the Socialist Party (PS). According to sources of Top Channel journalist Muhamed Veliu, during a meeting of the Socialist parliamentary group lawmaker Bledi Çuçi asked Justice Minister Toni Gogu for the transfer documents.
“Where is the transfer letter? You should have obtained it before going in. If you don't have it, resign!” Çuçi told the minister, according to these sources. There is no official confirmation that the PS as a party has asked Gogu to resign. Top Channel writes that Veliaj appears to be gaining support within the parliamentary group.
Balla: a closed-door meeting
Asked after the plenary session, Socialist group leader Taulant Balla did not deny the exchange. “These are topics discussed in closed-door meetings and we do not share them with the public,” he said. Balla added that he has also received complaints about former President Ilir Meta and passed them on to the relevant ministers, while issues concerning the treatment of detainees should, in his view, be handled within the EU accession process.
The General Directorate of Prisons has said the transfer was carried out in line with the law and that the order is a state secret.
City council demands answers
The issue was also raised at a meeting of the Tirana Municipal Council, where Democratic Party (PD) and PS councilors called for transparency. Halit Valteri said that “no pretrial detention measure should serve as a justification for inhumane treatment.” Socialist Eridian Salianji proposed that the council seek explanations from the Justice Ministry and the Ombudsman, while Democrat Dorian Teliti said he was concerned about how the transfer was carried out and who gave the order.
