KLSH report on tenders at the Ministry of Agriculture/ The Prosecution sends 20 officials for trial

2025-10-19 10:16:00, Aktualitet CNA

KLSH report on tenders at the Ministry of Agriculture/ The Prosecution sends 20

The Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, Tirana, completed the investigations and sent to trial 20 people, public servants, all accused of committing the criminal offense of 'Abuse of office' committed in collaboration as provided for by article 248-25 of the Criminal Code.

From the investigations conducted on criminal proceedings no. 2069, of 2025, it resulted that citizens MK, EH, G.Xh., IAAGj., LKEP, LH, MP, EF, AL, ER, IB, AZ, A.Gj., SP, AI, A.Dh., KN, AA have committed the above acts to the detriment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The investigations began after a report made by the Supreme State Audit Office (SSA) regarding seven procurement procedures, conducted mainly through negotiation without prior announcement and with a limit fund of 525,000,000 lek excluding VAT.

The procedures for which violations were found related to the procurements for "Plant protection and pest control in agriculture expenses", for "Purchase of equipment for veterinary services (motorcycles, helmets, clothing, gloves, bags), "Purchase of cattle for compensation of farmers damaged by nodular dermatosis of cattle" and for "Camera monitoring system for hydrovores".

The above defendants, in their capacity as persons entrusted with a public function, in collaboration with each other, for each tender procedure have acted in violation of the law or laws that regulate the relevant activity of the person exercising a specific public function. In this way, constituting a regular failure to fulfill their duty, harming the legitimate interests of the state, citizens and other legal entities.

The investigation of the procedures proved that the elements of the criminal offense were consumed and that actions were carried out that are not justified in relation to the shortcomings in determining the criteria for the goods required, but above all, the conviction is created that the market testing was carried out in a fictitious manner.

After reviewing the entirety of the above-mentioned acts, it is assessed that there is a conviction based on evidence that the members of the procurement unit have committed the criminal offense of abuse of office, referring to the type of procedure chosen for procurement, a crime provided for respectively by Article 248-25 of the Criminal Code./ Continued...