The managing partner of Hodaj & Partners, Mr. Taulant Hodaj, in an interview for T7 regarding the latest developments in the judicial process of former president Hashim Thaçi, spoke about the withdrawal of defense lawyers, stressing that in principle this change of defense is not good, but it has also provided solutions for a more robust and prepared defense.
The withdrawal of Thaçi’s defense lawyers, according to Mr. Hodaj, is worrying for the process, as this is not the first time something like this has happened. He emphasized that so far three main lawyers and several others who have been involved since the beginning of the process have been withdrawn. “So far there are three main lawyers who are withdrawing together with some other lawyers, that is, from the beginning of the process,” said Hodaj.
Lawyers have the right to withdraw from a case when the client cannot meet their financial obligations to them. In this case, it seems that there was a mutual agreement between the lawyers and former president Thaçi for their withdrawal due to financial difficulties. “It is normal that the lawyers were right and have the right to withdraw, if the client cannot respond to the agreement with the party they have in this case,” added Hodaj.
Mr. Hodaj emphasized that the withdrawal of lawyers can be harmful to the process, especially when it happens in the middle of the judicial procedure. However, he added that current lawyers will be available to new lawyers to ensure a smooth transition and avoid any gaps in representation. “Until new lawyers become familiar with the case, these current ones will be at their disposal,” said Hodaj.
Although withdrawing lawyers is often not good for the process, Mr. Hodaj noted that sometimes changing the defense team can bring benefits. He believes that young lawyers can be better prepared and contribute more worthily to the defense of Thaci. “Sometimes the change of lawyers is good for the process, but usually it is not… however, this will be seen in the future,” stated Hodaj.
Regarding the financing of Thaçi’s defense, the Ministry of Justice has made payments of over 3.5 million euros to the lawyer Luka Mishetiq and several other lawyers, but some lawyers have not been paid due to the lack of official agreements. “In the case of Thaçi, the Ministry of Justice has an agreement with the lawyer Luka Mishetiq, while on the other side there are other lawyers in the representation, where Mishetiq is also a part,” explained Hodaj.
The Ministry has made some changes to the Administrative Instruction regarding defense funds, establishing new payment limits. These changes are still under discussion and have not come into force yet, but are expected to have a significant impact on the payment process for lawyers in such cases.
