The Basic Court in Prishtina has sentenced Naim Murseli to life imprisonment for planning the murder of his wife, Liridona Ademaj, as well as the executor, Granit Plava. 30 years for the other accomplice, Kushtrim Kokalla. The decision was made in the session held on Tuesday.
The judicial panel, headed by judge Fatime Dermaku, finds Naim Murseli guilty of planning the murder of the mother of his two children in order to benefit from her life insurance as a Swedish citizen, a value of around 260,000 euros. The incident occurred on November 29, 2023, in the village of Bërnicë, while they were traveling with their two minor children.
"This decision today is for Liridona and her children. This sentence should be a lesson for all those who try to commit such a crime. Although it has only slightly eased the pain for us and the family, it was a decision we were all waiting for," said Leonard Ademaj, Liridona's brother.
Murseli paid Plava 30,000 to carry out the murder, also providing him with the weapon. According to the case prosecutor, Javorka Përlinçeviç, Naim held Liridona so that she would not escape the bullet, an event that occurred in front of the minor children.
Naim Murseli has never admitted to the crime, claiming that on the night of the incident the family was faced with a robbery, and that he was not in the car at the time of the murder, as he left with the two children, calling every accusation against him false.
The indictment states that the plan was initially revealed to Kokalla by Murseli, but he had refused to find an opportunity to kill Liridona, and then Kokalla had found Plava, whom he had informed Murseli about. Naim Murseli is said to have provided the weapon with 20 bullets from the accused Tom Dodaj, from whom he bought it for 280 euros. With this weapon, the murder of the deceased was carried out.
Tom Dodaj, who sold the weapon to Murseli and Plava for 280 euros, has pleaded guilty. The Basic Court sentenced him to 5 years in prison, and then the Appeal Court reduced it to 3 years.
In the initial session on January 31, 2025, Murseli pleaded not guilty. Plava did not plead regarding guilt, while Kokalla requested time to consult with his defense.