Gjika and the head of planning in the municipality, Eleni Dardhaj, are accused of falsifying records from local council meetings in 2010 in order to give illegal permits for two apartment buildings.

Prosecutors maintain that although the two buildings were not granted a permit by the local council, using falsified records, they were issued permits anyway.

The indictment says the buildings were constructed in an area that the law did not allow.
Apart from the mayor and Dardhaj, six other people, officials from the construction companies, are indicted for falsifying documents and illegal construction.

In a statement on Sunday for Albania’s Telegraphic News Agency, ATA, Gjika denied wrongdoing and said he was “shocked by the accusations”.

Elected as mayor for the Socialist Party for the last three mandates, Gjika has overseen a massive building boom in the port city.

On Monday, Prime Minister Edi Rama, said that as “friend” he hoped the charges against Gjika were not true, but as Prime Minister he urged the prosecutor’s office to do its job.

“The charges and the facts brought forward by prosecutors are serious,” Rama said. “I want to make it clear that we will not turn into a political shield against corruption,” he added. Balkaninsight