Incinerators, crime stories and corruption/ How is Edi Rama trying to escape the corrupt affair of the century

16 Dhjetor 2021, 15:50, English CNA

Incinerators, crime stories and corruption/ How is Edi Rama trying to escape the

The concession of incinerators in Albania, is the most discussed topic by the media and politics in recent days. This after the arrest of the former Minister of Environment in the government ?Rama 1?, Lefter Koka, after an investigation by SPAK, regarding the concession of the incinerator of Elbasan.

Lefter Koka was arrested 2 days ago, while today the Special Court against Organized Crime and Corruption, has communicated the security measure ?prison arrest?. But it seems that the story of the corrupt incinerator affair doesn?t begin or end with Lefter Koka alone.

The media, but also the opposition, have pointed the finger at other senior political officials, including Prime Minister Edi Rama himself. The incinerator concession in Albania is a story of crime and corruption, which Prime Minister Edi Rama has tried to justify by clearing a mountain of debris.

The story of this concession starts in Elbasan with 22 million euros, continues in Fier with 28 million euros, to come later to Tirana, with an initial contract of 128 million euros. And so far the Prime Minister has tried to justify incinerators, and large sums of money paid for them, with the disappearance of mountains of rubbish.

On the other hand, Rama has also reacted to the arrest of Lefter Koka, trying to ?wash his hands?, with the justification that the justice reform was realized by his government and others like these. But in fact Rama has ?forgotten? that Lefter Koka is a former minister of his government.

And the fact that Lefter Koka has been arrested doesn?t excuse the Prime Minister, who should at least bear moral responsibility. Because in terms of legal responsibility, this is a matter for justice.

Rama is trying to justify himself, and continues to defend the affair of incinerators, but doesn?t tell albanians that this bill has reached 178 million euros so far. So, with three contracts signed in Tirana, Elbasan and Fier. And there is no incinerator in operation in any of the 3 landfills, or areas for their construction.

The only existing incinerator is in Elbasan, but it has not been delivered yet by the local government, and thus is still unproven. They are tens and tens of millions of euros paid from the taxes of albanians. Not to mention Fier, where citizens were poisoned by the smoke of waste incineration, while millions of euros are paid for an incinerator that apparently doesn?t work.

Rama wants to remove the responsibility from himself. But the bill paid is too big. Edi Rama has used a mountain of money to cover a mountain of garbage. And this money has gone to some incinerator pockets that don?t exist, and chain companies starting with Klodian Zoto, Mirel Mërtiri and his cohabitant, who then created other companies in partnership with owners or media executives.

Therefore, Edi Rama cannot pass the crime and corruption of incinerators, making jokes or even ?washing his hands? like Pontius Pilate. The history of the incinerator concession, needs to be fully investigated. The subject of justice should be the whole chain of companies and persons involved. And the justice cannot start and end with Lefter Koka./CNA.al