Businessman Kastriot Ismailaj is released/ In prison since May 2015 for the CEZ-DIA scandal

2023-09-07 21:09:00, Aktualitet CNA

Businessman Kastriot Ismailaj is released/ In prison since May 2015 for the

At noon this Thursday, businessman Kastriot Ismailaj, arrested for the CEZ-DIA scandal, was released from prison.

The news was announced by journalist Artan Hoxha, who declares that Ismailaj left the cell after 9 years.

He writes on social networks that the release happened after the Fier Prison Authorities completed all the documentation and verified the terms of the sentence.

We remind you that Ismailaj was arrested on May 12, 2015 under the accusation that he embezzled from the CEZ company, about 5 million Euros for a service he had not performed, by falsifying documents.

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Today at noon, Kastriot Ismailaj, the owner of the DIA company, was released after 9 years in prison.

CEZ Affair/ Another testimony against Kastriot Ismailaj
December 9, 15:41

The Fier Prison authorities, after completing all the documentation and verifying the terms of the sentence, decided to release from prison the businessman involved in the CEZ-DIA scandal that disturbed Albanian politics for years.

Kastriot Ismailaj, the businessman involved in the CEZ-DIA scandal, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in October 2017 by the Tirana Court.

Ismailaj has been in detention for about 2 years and 6 months, which is counted as 3 years and 9 months. From October 2017 until noon today, September 7, 2023, he served the rest of his sentence.

Kastriot Ismailaj was arrested on May 12, 2015 by the Money Laundering and Economic and Financial Crime Sector.

Details from the investigations, this is where the 650 million ALL that Kastriot Ismailaj took from ?EZ was spent
October 26, 15:54

Ismailaj was accused of "fraud with serious consequences" and "money laundering", these crimes committed in collaboration with other persons.

According to the accusation, Ismailaj, by falsifying documents, managed to acquire from the CEZ company, about 5 million Euros for a service he had not performed.

The matter was brought back to the doors of SPAK after a request that MP Taulant Balla made for the retrial of the file in 2020 in charge of several people, among them former Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

The businessman was the owner of the company "DIA", which concluded an agreement with "CEZ-Albania" in order to collect the financial debts of customers who had financial obligations in non-payment of electricity in Albania.

The court confiscates the property of Kastriot Ismailaj
April 27, 12:16

But this deal was a total failure and fraud worth 5 million euros in damages. Due to the large losses suffered by the company based in Prague and the non-collection of debts, the Albanian state decided to remove the Czech energy company, "CEZ-Albania".

As a result, CEZ started an arbitration process against Albania for damages and Albania was forced to pay CEZ 95 million euros to regain ownership of the company.

While in Albania, the prosecution launched a parallel criminal process, arresting Kastriot Ismailaj and sentencing him to 11 years in prison.

Together with the latter, they confiscated 5 million euros in his bank accounts, bypassing the state budget. The "CEZ Albania" and "DIA" agreement continues to be investigated by SPAK and shows concern for high-ranking state officials and former officials./ CNA