Sokrat Vata, the man suspected of killing a 21-year-old Portuguese tourist in Ksamil, has admitted before the Sarandë court that he was responsible for the fatal stabbing, while claiming that he did not realize he had struck the tourist during the chaotic fight.
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| Sokrat Vata, who confessed before the Sarandë court to responsibility for the fatal stabbing of a 21-year-old Portuguese tourist, is escorted alongside other detained individuals during the police investigation. |
Vata claimed that a confrontation began inside a bar after a group of French tourists allegedly refused requests to keep quiet. According to his account, the dispute escalated into a physical fight outside the venue.
He said one of the tourists had a knife, which he took from him, and that another foreign tourist then kicked him in the jaw. Vata claimed he fell and instinctively moved his hand while trying to defend himself.
“I don't remember how I hit him because I was in shock,” Vata told the court, according to the testimony reported by Euronews.
He said he did not know whether anyone had been injured because several people were involved in the fight and that he left the scene while still in shock.
Turkish National Says Vata Asked Him for Help
Nuh Mahmutoglu, a Turkish national detained following the incident, also testified before the court.
Mahmutoglu said he knew Vata and had worked with him in dealing with tourists because he spoke English. He claimed Vata called him at around 6:30 a.m. and asked for help getting to Tirana, telling him that he had fallen from a motorcycle.
The other detained individuals denied involvement and said they had not witnessed the moment of the confrontation.
Cameras Do Not Clearly Capture the Stabbing
According to the analysis of available surveillance footage, the exact moment when the Portuguese tourist was stabbed cannot be clearly seen.
The young man reportedly continued walking for several meters after the injury before collapsing.
The footage does show the physical confrontation, but investigators have not been able to establish from the images whether the venue's staff realized that the tourist had been wounded and failed to notify police, or whether they simply did not understand at the time that he had been injured.
The case remains under judicial investigation, with the court expected to assess the testimony, surveillance footage and other evidence in determining the circumstances and responsibility for the death.