Pepaj denies drug import role and accuses police of planting evidence

Kastriot Pepaj, who is suspected of helping organise the drug import in the so-called Dettifoss case, told Reykjavík District Court on Wednesday that he had no connection to the case, mbl.is reports.

Pepaj gave evidence as the main proceedings began and denied all the charges against him.

“I have nothing to do with this,” he said.

Pepaj is accused of organising the import together with Sævar Hilmarsson, who has also denied the charges. Pepaj said the two knew each other fairly well through their wives’ friendship and had met several times.

However, he said he did not know the two crew members who are also charged in the case. He said he first met them when they were arrested in April.

Pepaj was also questioned about drugs found at his home when he was arrested. He said the police had brought the drugs there themselves.

“There were never any drugs in my home,” he said.

Asked why he believed the police had planted the drugs, Pepaj said there was no one else who could have done so. Drugs, he said, were not acceptable in his home.

Evidence from the crew members has indicated that they communicated on the Signal messaging app with someone using the name Cloud. Pepaj said he could not say who Cloud was or who was behind another Signal account called Milan, which police suspect was operated by Pepaj.