VOA: Corruption in the Municipality of Tirana, abuses of tenders

2024-03-29 12:52:00, Aktualitet CNA

Municipality of Tirana

In Albania, two former leaders in the Municipality of Tirana, Redi Molla, who was at the head of the company "waterworks Kanalizime", and Maringlen Qato, until some time ago at the head of the Territory Protection Inspectorate, were arrested today by order of the Prosecutor's Office Special Against Organized Crime and Corruption. They are suspected of "passive corruption" and "concealment and non-declaration of wealth".

A second arrest warrant has been issued for Taulant Tushen, former General Director, arrested earlier, for his involvement in the Tirana incinerator case. He is suspected of "violation of equality in tenders".

Easier measures, "Compulsion to appear", have been given to four leaders and former leaders in the Municipality, Enton Punavija, Director of the Transport Directorate, Julian Zanaj Director of Procurement, Eglantina Zere of the company "Tirana Parking" and Deborah Keçi, head of the "Tirana" Sports Club, to a sector responsibility as well as to the administrator of the "5D Construction" company, Nestor Muhametllari.

It is precisely this company that has raised suspicions about which the investigations of the Special Prosecutor's Office have been conducted. According to the official announcement, "reasonable suspicions have been created that the citizens Redi Molla and Maringlen Qato are the real partners and "de facto" owners of the company "5D Konstruksion" sh.pk Ata. have owned this commercial company indirectly, using other persons, as fictitious partners in the acts of registration and operation of the company".

The company, which has changed its name several times, turns out to have benefited "in violation of the rules" of a series of tenders from agencies under the Municipality of Tirana, including 7 cases from "Tirana Sewerage", when it was managed by Redi Molla , while Maringlen Qato was a member of the Bid Evaluation Committee.

Some other procurement procedures were won directly by the Municipality of Tirana. In this case, according to the Special Prosecutor's Office, the involvement of General Director Tusha has been discovered, who is suspected of having, together with several members of the Bid Evaluation Commission, "favored and created unfair advantages and privileges for this commercial entity in relation with other economic operators that participated in the procurement procedures, declaring it the winner of the procurement procedure in an irregular manner and in violation of public procurement rules. There are suspicions based on the fact that Tusha had knowledge about the real partners of the company "5D Konstruksion" sh.pk and favored this trading company knowing which persons were the indirect owners of the company's shares".

Two more flagrant cases are the procurement procedures from the "Tirana Parking" company and the Tirana Sports Club. According to the Special Prosecutor's Office, their holders entrusted the evaluation of the offers of the participants in the tender to the employees of the company "5D Konstruksion" sh.pk"/ VOA