The foundational session for the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and 29 other defendants has begun. Veliaj is not present but is represented by his lawyer, Plarent Ndreca. Present in the courtroom were businessman Elman Abule and former police officer Fatjon Baci, who are facing respective charges in this trial. The April 1st session was postponed, while Veliaj's lawyer, Plarent Ndreca, stated that there is no strategy to delay the process, but time is needed to familiarize with the case file. He also said there is a rush in this matter from the court's side, adding that prosecutor Ols Dado had an emotional reaction in the courtroom, which is not in line with his role. "I appreciate that what is observed is the fact that there is a rush to conduct a trial that is voluminous. You know that a level of judgment has been lost by not giving Erion Veliaj the opportunity to defend himself. I do not understand the rush, I do not understand the rush to violate constitutional rights. The connection the prosecutor makes with Veliaj's defense is an emotional one and has nothing to do with the prosecutor's role compliance. There is no strategy to delay, but to understand the case thoroughly. We will have a team not only of lawyers but also experts. Veliaj is determined to defend his case. He has not yet familiarized himself with the file. The reading has started, he reads the file at a pace of 200-300 pages per day. But it is a very voluminous file. The material evidence alone is about 1500 pages," said Ndreca.