The director of Veliaj used to bulldoze the houses/ how he favored his construction company

2024-05-01 20:52:00, Aktualitet CNA

The director of Veliaj used to bulldoze the houses/ how he favored his

Journalist Klodiana Lala in her show Në Shënjester has covered details from the 5D file, revealing how one of the directors of Erion Veliaj, Mariglen Qato, who was demolishing houses in various areas of Tirana, ultimately favored his construction company.

As the head of the IMT, he was part of the razing of the flats to the ground, despite the residents' lack of concern for their safety. This situation showed that a dubious game was being played at their expense.

SPAK investigations and media investigations showed that Qato was not only the director of IMT, but also a businessman in the field of construction, together with Redi Molla, another functionary in the Municipality of Tirana.

They created the construction company 'VAS Construksion' or '5D Construksion', which after the demolition of buildings by IMT, which they classified as damaged, won tenders for reconstruction.

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If we have to find a proper definition for the term scandal and give it a different name, the one being described here is not only a scandal of unimaginable proportions for the capture and collapse of the state, but also a rare example of how individuals of clothed with unlimited power they can destroy human lives and extend their tentacles to snatching their possessions, including their homes. This case also seems to be that of Mariglen Qato, one of the directors of the Municipality of Tirana, who until yesterday held several high public functions in this institution.

Already, by order of SPAK, the director of the Municipality of Tirana, Redi Molla, and another person have been arrested together on the charge of corruption and profiting in conflict of interest of 45 tenders worth 30 million euros, in favor of the company '5 D Contruksion', exploiting the public positions they held. Molla and Qato were not only part of these activities, but also of the close electoral staff of the acting mayor, Erion Veliaj. Qato was initially offered in the entourage of Veliaj, as an entrepreneur from the business world, presenting himself as a successful manager in his private affairs, ready to give his contribution in the service of the public.

His CV, enriched in a few years in municipal work, shows that in 2015, Qato was appointed as Director of the Directorate of Public Works No. 2, then as Director at the Tirana Waterworks. Until the local elections of May 14, 2023, he led the IMT, the Territory Protection Inspectorate, a body that protected the territory from illegal constructions and served as a body in the function of the Municipality of Tirana for the demolition of constructions without permission or those with technical problems. construction. Fadroma and the IMT logo, often displayed in the actions of the last years, made clear his commitment to this task.

In cases such as the Great Ring, Bregu i Lumit, the demolition of houses in the Shkoza area, the '5 Maji' neighborhood, as well as the demolition of buildings in Tirana after the 2019 earthquake, which were classified as uninhabitable, highlight the problems. An example is the building on 'Myslym Keta' Street, where the residents were illegally forced to leave a few days before the end of 2022. Three years after the earthquake, their documentation was changed from DS3 to DS5 classification, indicating the need for reconstruction and danger to the lives of residents. Actexperts show that this change was in favor of private companies looking to build in the area of ??Tirana.

As a pretext to carry out this operation, even though it was the end of 2022, they had found the earthquake of 2019 and the damage that had occurred since then in these apartments.

Gentian Sejrani/ Lawyer: If we refer to other cases, which I have contact with the residents of "Myslym Keta" and the residents of the "former Kombinat", but also with the residents of "5 May".

If we refer to the residents or the buildings at "Myslym Keta", we will see that first there was a decision of the Construction Institute that issued DS3 (DS-three), then we see that an Expertise Act was made through a private company and DS5 is out.

The defense lawyer of the injured parties argues that the judgment in this case by the Court would prove the accuracy of the act-expertise conducted by private companies. However, he also points out that this situation will raise doubts about what could be behind their accuracy. This is because it is doubtful who was working under the rug to classify the buildings as uninhabitable long after the earthquake. The issue that arises is whether it was a coincidence or an organized attempt to put the residents in danger for their lives. While the obvious goal was to demolish the buildings and open up new construction sites for the interested companies, the scriptwriters who put together the script remained in the shadows, operating from their offices.

Gentian Sejrani: But then the Court decided that the Expertise done by the private company is not correct, and made the Municipal Council's decision to demolish those buildings illegal.

He has done the same for several buildings in the Kombinat area. So, to show that the decision is based on the Expertise Act, which are incorrect.

At the time when residents were trying to identify the mastermind behind the scenario, it was soon revealed that one of the main characters was Mariglen Qato. He, as the head of the IMT, was part of the razing of these facilities to the ground, despite the residents' lack of concern for their safety. This situation showed that a dubious game was being played at their expense. SPAK investigations and media investigations showed that Qato was not only the director of IMT, but also a businessman in the field of construction, together with Redi Molla, another functionary in the Municipality of Tirana. They created the construction company 'VAS Construksion' or '5D Construksion', which after the demolition of buildings by IMT, which they classified as damaged, won tenders for reconstruction.

So, to put it more clearly, the construction company run in complete shadow by Mariglen Qato and Redi Molla, as the first one in charge of IMT, would send the fadromas to throw them on the ground, the same person with his company occult would also carry out the reconstruction phase, after winning the tender from the Municipality of Tirana.

Gentian Sejrani: Our suspicion is based on the court's decision and on the expertise made by the expert called during the judicial process. Which means it is a very important element for the ongoing investigation process, but it remains for the law enforcement institutions to investigate this whole situation that happened. At least the residents of 'Myslym Keta', because there is a difference from DS3 to DS5 means from citizens who can rehabilitate, can reconstruct their homes, to citizens who have to flee, leave their homes altogether Theirs. Even get houses in other areas.

Based on the media research, it seems that in the period from December 2020 to 2021, the company 'VAS Construksion', which was proven by SPAK to have Mariglen Qaton and Redi Molla as its actual owners, participated in 8 tenders opened by the Municipality of Tirana, within the Reconstruction Program. These tenders aimed at the construction and reconstruction of public infrastructure in the new areas announced for development by the Municipality of Tirana.

'VAS Construction', which at that time had as administrator Muhamet Petriti, the father-in-law of Mariglen Qato's brother, won two tenders from the Municipality of Tirana for the reconstruction, with contracts of a total value of 630 thousand euros. These tenders included the demolition of buildings declared uninhabitable and the removal of waste, affecting 22 buildings and buildings on 'Ferit Xhajko' street, 'Myslym Keta' and in the '5 Maji' neighborhood. At this time, the head of IMT was Mariglen Qato, and interestingly, his company won the tender for reconstruction and development in this very area.

In 'Tirana DC', the director is Redi Molla, a co-owner with Qato in the company that will deal with the demolition of the buildings and the cleaning of the territory. However, it turns out that the demolition and cleaning of the remains of the territory where the palaces were located was done by the employees and janitors of the Municipality. The suspicions are that the company of Qato and Molla has benefited from all the money of the contract, without doing any work in the field.

Gentian Sejrani: At the same time, we saw that a very good project by private companies was announced and published in the area. The evidence is already the court's decision. The expertise that has become part of the trial and the prosecution take it a little further and see if we are dealing with the illegality and inaccuracy of the Expertise Act carried out by the private company? Do we have a change in the situation from that expertise made by the Institute of Construction?

But how is it possible that the head of a public institution, in this case the IMT (Territory Protection Inspectorate), had the title of an official who led the action for the demolition of buildings, and at the same time led a construction company which would was the tender profitable in this area? And he did this without the knowledge of the Mayor Erion Veliaj or the Tirana City Council, which had given the decision to demolish the buildings and open the way for the development of the areas.

Ervis Daka, Center for Community Action: From 2019 and until November 2023, families were treated with the emergency program in support of families affected by the earthquake. On December 19, 2023, residents are notified through administrative unit No. 4 of several letters sent by the coordination and coordination directorate from the Municipality of Tirana, which disqualifies them with the comment that you have not entered into any agreement with the National Housing Authority.

The scheme is clear: the company '5 D Construction' of Mariglen Qatos and Redi Molla has had a partnership with other firms that have carried out the appraisals of the buildings. These audits, which were then used as a reason for the demolition of buildings with technical problems, were a planned part of their strategy. This cooperation with other firms has started since the time when the company was called 'VAS Construction', and they have benefited from contracts within the Reconstruction Program in the '5 Maji' neighborhood.

These private companies shared parts won from the tenders for the demolition of the buildings together with '5 D Construction', and were then rewarded with building permits for the work they performed in the appraisals that were later found to be incorrect. Thus, the demolition of the buildings was done on the basis of expertise that, as a concrete case shows, were manipulated to justify their actions.

Gentian Sejrani: If you look at companies that have benefited from public tenders, there are only 5 companies with a red flag in terms of how the tenders were awarded in violation of the criteria of all other things. In fact, in relation to the 45 residents whom I am following. But without a doubt, when we come to court, we will also file a criminal report with SPAK to start investigations and to understand a little more about how the whole procedure has happened.

The residents of building No. 4 on 'Myslym Keta' street in Tirana are not the only ones affected by the unjust demolition of their buildings. There are many other cases where residents are looking for justice for the participation of high officials of the municipality of Tirana in corrupt activities of this nature. Some of them are already banned by order of SPAK, including the former directors of the Municipality, Mariglen Qaton and Redi Molla.

These officials placed the buildings under other names, benefiting them and their companies from the tenders for the reconstruction and development of the areas. Coincidentally, another group of residents was notified to vacate their apartments in the area of ??the former Dinamo Factory Market, due to the damage left by the earthquake of 2019. These residents were evicted from their apartments using expert acts of manipulated by private companies connected to the high public officials of the Municipality of Tirana and their companies.

Decision of the Municipal Council

General Directorate of Co-Owned Facilities

As we have informed you, with the Decision of the Municipal Council No. 23, Date 26.02.2024, the forced demolition of the building has been decided, based on the verifications and preliminary findings of the Institute of Construction, the working groups of the administrative unit for the damages of caused by the earthquake of November 26, 2019 and the risk presented, an in-depth expert assessment was carried out with an economic operator. Based on these conclusions and the opposition of the Construction Institute, the experts have come to the conclusion that the palace should be demolished.

Ndue Mark's family is one of the last remaining in the '5 Maji' neighborhood, an area which has been at the center of clashes between residents and the Territory Protection Inspectorate. This situation has been accompanied by tense scenes, including the use of tear gas by the police. Residents have refused to leave their homes, while the Municipality justifies this action with the need for the development of the area, within the Reconstruction plan.

Ndue Marku, Resident May 5: There was absolutely no demolition order. The truth is that the residents, some of the residents, not all of them, notified the police the day before the police to come and protect them from the IMT. In reality, numerous police forces, the IMT, the Municipality, the police, have come and they have been forcibly removed. They came randomly, threw gas and made arrests. And the fact is that these were not homeless, these became homeless.

But while the months have passed and many of them have been evicted from their homes, the situation on the ground is the same and the works for the reconstruction and development of the area have not started, while the residents continue to wander with loot, as they have not even received the promised bonus of rent from the municipality.

Ndue Marku: Mariglen Qato was in front and told her where Liza's house was destroyed (Liz-a resident whose house was destroyed) an expression that I don't want to say, you will get... That famous director who now... Now we have understood their will, and they were all together in robbing the inhabitants. We were, as much as we were.

According to lawyer Gentian Sejrani, the situation on the ground is dramatic. Many residents who have been affected by the reconstruction program by losing their homes, whether these buildings as in the case of Myslym Keta street, or even homes in other areas of Tirana, have not yet benefited from the rent bonus.

Gentian Sejrani: The decision of the Municipal Council has narrowed the way of benefiting through the reconstruction process and excluded them directly from the reconstruction process. And today, not only are they not part of the reconstruction, but they can no longer even benefit from the rent bonus, which is the most basic thing that they should not live on the street but at least have the opportunity to live in a flat like everyone else other Albanian citizens.

The fear is experienced again when it is observed how public officials, including the directors of the municipality who have already been arrested by SPAK, use their public positions to rob citizens. They use their strength and power to commit such acts, often not only corrupt, but also criminal.

Through these machinations, they evict residents from their homes, building on their properties and compromising their well-being. This is a scenario that is almost unparalleled in any other democratic system, where citizens who are always powerless and vulnerable, continue to hope for a just state, and not just for power.