The commanding mayor of Himara Municipality under investigation by SPAK

2024-06-28 21:37:00, Aktualitet CNA

SPAK

The Prosecutor's Office of Vlora has transferred to SPAK a file for abusive benefits of agricultural land in Himare from different families, where among the beneficiaries is the current mayor of this municipality, Arqile Bollano.

The acquisition of about 14,000 m2 of land in Himara in 2015 by the family of the current mayor of Himara, Arqile Bollano, appointed to this position three weeks ago, is being investigated by the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime. SPAK. The file was transferred for competence to SPAK by the Prosecutor's Office of Vlora about a month and a half ago, after the investigation of a series of procedures for granting land to agricultural families from Himarë Municipality, which are suspected to be abusive.

BIRN learned that, during the procedures undertaken in 2015 by the Municipality of Himara, to supplement with agricultural land the families that had received deficient areas during the distribution of land in 1992 according to Law 7501, there were undeserved benefits from some families, among theirs and that of the current mayor, Arqile Bollano.

By decision of the municipal council, after examining the requests of families who claimed that they were allocated less land than they were entitled to, a decision was made to fill the deficits. Among the beneficiaries was the family of Arqile Bollanos, who is said to have benefited from 14,000 m2 of land that, according to calculations, did not belong to them.

In 2015, the Municipality of Himara was led by the socialist Jorgo Goro, who was arrested in March of this year by order of SPAK, as it is suspected that in cooperation with subordinates and officials of the Cadastre, through forged documents, they enabled the transfer of the surfaces of considerable state land in Himara, in favor of private individuals, assets that were taken from a company owned by Artan Gaçi, the husband of the socialist deputy Olta Xhaçka, who has acquired the status of a strategic investor.

Goro, who ran for a fourth term under the banner of the Socialist Party for the Municipality of Himara in May of last year, continued to hold office even though his rival, Alfred Beleri, was declared the winner. The latter failed to take the oath after he was arrested two days before the elections for "Active corruption in the elections", a criminal offense for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 2 years, a measure that took final form in the Appeal on June 25 .

After Goro's arrest, the Himarë Municipality Council appointed mayor Blerina Bala, who resigned at the beginning of June. On June 7, she was replaced by Arqile Bollano, also as a commander./ Reporter.al