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The 100 million euro scandal/ 15 arrest warrants issued by SPAK

2023-12-09 10:18:00, Aktualitet CNA

The 100 million euro scandal/ 15 arrest warrants issued by SPAK

Illustrative photo

A decision by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime issued fifteen security measures for officials and businessmen in connection with the investigation into the Tirana incinerator scandal, including the officials who granted the controversial concession. Some officials, already in prison for criminal offenses related to the other two incinerators, in Elbasan and in Fier, received additional security measures, while businessmen Mirel Mërtiri and Klodian Zoto, who are currently on the run, were provided with another security measure. arrest and imprisonment". .

Taulant Tusha, director of Public Services in the Municipality of Tirana and at the same time, member of the Governing Council of UKT, received the security measure of arrest and imprisonment. Such security measures were also issued for Lefter Koka, Alqi Bllako, Mirel Mërtir, Klodian Zoto, Erjon Murataj, Bledar Karolin, Namik Simixhiu, and Jetmir Llapaj.

As a security measure, Alba Thoma, Valbona Ballgjini, Sidita Kopliku, Pëllumb Abeshi, Etleva Kondi, Sidita Tola were placed under house arrest.

The police operation to enforce security measures is still ongoing at the time of publishing this news. So far it is not certain which security measures have been implemented and which have not.

The Tirana incinerator is the largest project among the three controversial projects of the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, which promised, against the advice of experts and the European Union, to build incinerators for burning waste. In August of this year, SPAK ordered the seizure of the Tirana incinerator company, arguing that preliminary investigations had revealed the ultimate owners of the masked chain in the Netherlands, businessmen Klodian Zoto and Mirel Mërtiri, currently wanted internationally for active corruption and money laundering for two the other incinerators, Elbasan and Fier.

The company Integrated Energy BV was founded in 2017 and since then, it has billed Albanian citizens in various ways, including through the fiscal system for the government or through mandatory fees for waste disposal.

The company's balance sheet data published in the National Business Center show that between 2017 and 2021, citizens paid Integrated Energy BV at least 7.9 billion lek in the form of concession fees and storage service fees. In 2021, the company's revenue reached 2.6 billion ALL. The 2022 balance sheet has not yet been filed with the KKB, but the state budget treasury payment data show that from January 1, 2022 until today, the company has benefited another 2 billion ALL. Taking into account this, and other revenues that the company bills for deposits, by the time of the seizure in August 2023, the Tirana waste field appears to have cost taxpayers at least 100 million euros.

The incinerators of Fier and Elbasan have separately cost about 50 million euros./ BIRN