It is about the investigations that started after the sensational video was published online, where Prince Leka and Elia Zaharia physically attacked each other.
In his public statements, Prince Leka doubted that this video was released by police structures, or by the prosecution when he submitted the video.
The cell phone was requested by the prosecution, but the latter did not hand it over, stating that it was broken due to stress.
The verifications showed that this video was sent to his friend with whom he is suspected to be in a relationship, Blerta Celibashi.
The latter, after receiving the video, sent the images to the chancellery to be transferred to USB. When the prosecution asked Blerta for her mobile phone, she stated that she put it in the washing machine.
The verification was done at the chancellery, but the employee who assisted Blerta said that it was deleted and she did not have the opportunity to distribute it.
Under these conditions, the investigations have been stopped, but the Prosecutor’s Office holds Prince Leka responsible because the footage distributed in the media is longer than what the prosecution has.
Closure of investigations
The Prosecutor’s Office of Tirana closed the investigations and sent Prince Leka, his ex-wife Elia Zaharia and the latter’s father Gjergj Zaharia to trial on June 8.
Prince Leka, his ex-wife Elia Zaharia and the latter’s father, Gjergj Zaharia, are accused of domestic violence. The investigations started after the publication of a video and the report to the prosecutor’s office for domestic violence. On April 25, the Court of Tirana decided the dissolution of the marriage crown between Prince Leka and the well-known actress.
In the Court’s decision, it is stated that the couple, parents of a little girl, have decided to separate after they had constant conflicts, lack of communication and that they had stopped living together. Thus it is rejected that the marriage was dissolved because of Prince Leka’s betrayal of Elia Zaharia.
The couple’s conflicts became public after the circulation of a video, where Leka, Elias’ father, and herself were physically conflicted between them. Meanwhile, after these scenes, they ended up in Court, with a protection order against each other.
While Elia has returned to her professional life and going on stage with several works, on the other hand Leka is enjoying his love affair.
How the sensational fight started and the full testimonies:
Everything started when Prince Leka went to meet his daughter at his house on March 5 of this year, where he lives with his mother, Elia Zaharia. As Prince Leka confesses in his testimony, at those moments the minor girl was with Gjergj Zaharija, his former father-in-law, who was taking care of his granddaughter, since Elia was not at home.
The two describe this meeting as violent, as the Prince claims that he was raped by Gjergj Zaharia, while the latter said that he is old and cannot rape anyone.
Even, in his testimony, Prince Leka claims that he was raped with hard objects such as a wooden statue, while he says that the ex-father-in-law also tore the sweatshirt in front of the girl’s eyes. He says that the fight was started by Gjergj Zaharia, who “started with insulting and threatening words in my direction, telling me that you should change the way when you look at me”.
In these moments, citizen Gjergj Zaharia has aggravated the situation, he approached me, pushing me and kicking my legs. My reaction was only defensive’, claims the prince.
Prince Leka’s full testimony:
“It was at 15:20 minutes in my apartment on “Murat Toptani” street, residence of the royal family No. 6, Tirana to meet my 3-year-old daughter, as we are in the process of divorce with my ex-wife, citizen Elia Zogu. I first met with the Head of the Yard’s administration, citizen Syl Mulosmanaj, whom I asked about a closet that was emptied in violation of the agreement. Then I asked Syla to accompany me to my daughter to meet her, for which we have agreed with the ex-wife in a divorce settlement agreement.
I climbed up together with Syla and found my little daughter Geraldina Zogu, aged 3, who was in the company of her grandfather, the father of her ex-husband, citizen Gjergj Zaharia.
At this moment, I hugged my daughter and the citizen Gjergj Zaharia started using insulting and threatening words in my direction, telling me that you should change the way when you look at me.
My reaction before this situation was telling you, Gjergji, not to insult and threaten me, especially in the presence of the girl, and I asked him to leave the room where I was staying with the girl.
In these moments, citizen Gjergj Zaharia aggravated the situation, he approached me, pushing me and kicking my legs. My reaction was only defensive, but Gjergji continued to hit me and tore my sweatshirt and also took a hard object (wooden statue) with which he hit me.”
But for his part, Gjergj Zaharia claims the opposite, stating that “he is old and cannot stand, so there is no way he can rape the Prince who is 2 meters tall”. He accuses Leka of having violated him and insulted him with harsh words.
Gjergj Zaharia’s testimony
“The prince was violent towards me and spoke to me in a harsh language. I did not violate him, I only defended myself. I’m 70 or so years old and I can’t stand on my feet, I can’t kick the prince who is 2 meters tall anymore.”
After this episode, both of them presented themselves to the police, where a forensic report was made and they turned to the court for a protection order. After that, Elia also went to the police station with allegations of violence from her ex-husband.
After the denunciation of violence by Princ Leka and Elia Zaharias, the Police reacted, saying that both sides claim that they were violated by each other and were provided with a protection order.
What happened to the royal couple?
Prince Leka announced the separation on January 15, where he said that the necessary legal procedures had begun. Elia Zaharia also reacted after him, and the common message was that the well-being of their daughter will remain in the center of attention. Through an official reaction, Prince Leka said that “marriage has lost its function, and they have seen the way to resolve it by mutual consent by starting the necessary legal procedures”.
“What is more important is that my little girl experiences this moment as easily as possible”, Zaharia then reacted.
Prince’s split from Elia Zaharia caused a stir, with suspicions that the couple had long been in a broken marriage. The reason is said to be Prince Leka’s relationship with the former couple’s photographer, Blerta Celibashi. They have even often appeared in public together, but have not yet made their relationship official.
