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Denunciation of "Plug"/ How Carlo Bollino was forgiven hundreds of thousands of euros in buildings by the government

2025-12-24 22:48:00, Denoncim CNA

Denunciation of "Plug"/ How Carlo Bollino was forgiven hundreds of

The show "Plug" by journalist Flavio Qarri on Syri TV reported that the demolition of buildings and the construction permit are separate matters. After taking possession of the entire property along with the buildings, Carlo Bollino, by government decision, demolished the existing buildings, even though they cost hundreds of thousands of euros, and built the new building without paying a single lek in compensation to the state.

The "Plug" show revealed that the buildings collapsed under the pretext of earthquake damage, while in fact Carlo Bollino had applied for a building permit from the government long before the earthquake struck.

After the contract amendment on February 19, the government cleared the way for the construction site for the new Carlo Bollino building. On May 6, 2020, by decision of the Council of Ministers, the demolition of 3 buildings with the dimensions “Building no. 1” 2 floors, “Building no. 2” 1 floor, “Building no. 3” 1 floor, with a total construction area of ??2497.06 m2 was decided.

Denunciation of "Plug"/ How Carlo Bollino was forgiven hundreds of

For all these actions, Prime Minister Edi Rama previously stated that they were carried out in accordance with the law, denying any violations. Asked why a construction permit was granted for a new building, while the object of the contract was the reconstruction of existing buildings, the head of government did not give an answer.

On December 14, 2019, when Albania was in a state of emergency and the search and rescue process from the ruins of the tragic earthquake of November 26, 2019 had not yet been completed, Carlo Bollino's MTSC company sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting authorization to demolish the buildings, claiming that they were already heavily damaged by the earthquakes of September and November. Attached to the request, Carlo Bollino also issued a preliminary inspection report of the construction institute, dated December 13, 2019.

Up until now, it seems that everything has been in order, so Carlo Bollino is requesting the demolition of the buildings with a reasonable pretext. However, what reveals this request is precisely the application for a building permit with the Territorial Development Agency, a few days before the earthquake of November 26, 2019.

A letter that the Territorial Development Agency sends to the Ministry of Finance on May 29, 2020, reveals a very important piece of information, which shows exactly the date when Carlo Bollino applied for a construction permit to the government. The ARD tells the Ministry of Finance that the MTSC company has registered on November 11, 2019, with this agency, the request to initiate procedures for issuing a construction permit for the object "Multi-screen building of Report TV" as well as auxiliary technical and administrative premises for television services.

Denunciation of "Plug"/ How Carlo Bollino was forgiven hundreds of

From what is clarified, it results that the application or proposal for a Building Permit, at the KKT, by the entity or the Ministry of Finance, was made on 11.11.2019. If this application or proposal were in accordance with the rights that the tenant had under the lease contract, then we should have approved the reconstruction of the 3 buildings in the Building Permit, and not the "Construction of a new building".

Construction permit

On January 13, 2020, by decision of the Council of Ministers, the construction permit was approved. According to official data, the permit approved by the National Council of Territories with the signature of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the total area of ??the land was 4021.5 square meters, that is, as agreed in the lease contract of October 2019. Of this, the area occupied by the structure, the footprint, was 1180.9 square meters, while the construction area was planned to be 3048.9 square meters.

Carlo Bollino, publicly, by January 13 had carried out two actions: he had signed a contract for the use of the former watch department in the former mechanical factory and had secured the construction permit with the signature of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The permit was not disclosed after January 13, 2020, as in fact, Carlo Bollino had not taken possession of the entire property.

In order for the construction permit to be issued, Carlo Bollino had to first secure the additional construction area, since in the October 2019 contract, Bollino only used the first floor of the main building of the former watch department. For this reason, after obtaining the construction permit, on February 10, 2020, the MTSC company addressed the Ministry of Finance and Economy with a new letter, requesting an additional area of ??872.6 square meters without competition.

The company MTSC sh.pk, at the time of obtaining the Building Permit on 13.1.2020, this permit was granted for the construction of a unique building, and not the reconstruction of three different existing state buildings, as provided for in the lease contract, the company did not have ownership or lease rights over the second floor of the main building, which was granted to this company only by Council of Ministers No. 157, dated 19.02.2020, while the Building Permit had been granted 30 days earlier on 13.1.2020.

As results from the content of the lease contract, where it should be emphasized that the purpose of this contract is the reconstruction of three state buildings, and their return to the state party, when the lease term ends, and the return to the state party, would be with the benefit of returning a building with qualitative and contemporary parameters. But while this purpose is given in the introductory and specific provisions of the contract (Article 2 of the draft contract), its real purpose is given in Article 10 thereof, where it is provided in a final, therefore transitional/transitional provision that: "The lease contract would be valid until the moment that the public property leased is privatized according to the legal acts in force".

All the acts against Carlo Bollino carried out by the Ministry of Finance headed by Anila Denaj were undertaken at a time when the public administration was working from home, due to the covid19 pandemic. Meanwhile, they were acting in record time to approve decisions in service of this illegality, causing financial damage to the state in the amount of 34,958,426 lek.

Immediately after Prime Minister Edi Rama signed the demolition of the buildings of the former watchmaking department, although the contract provided for their reconstruction, to cover up the illegality so far, the Territorial Development Agency asked the Ministry of Finance to amend the contract with Carlo Bollino, so that it would be in accordance with the construction permit.

In the "Plug" show, it was said that part of the documentation they have regarding the aforementioned application is the Lease Contract No. 2604.Rep, 727 Kol, dated 14.10.2019. Meanwhile, with Decision No. 368, dated 06.05.2020... the Council of Ministers has decided to demolish the buildings... Given that the contract concluded between the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the company "MTSC" sh.pk provides for the lease of the state property "Former Metal Enterprise Tirana (Watch Department)", "For total reconstruction of the construction area", and based on Decision No. 368, dated 06.05.2020, we request that in the capacity of the competent authority for the administration of state property, you should amend the object of the lease contract in accordance with the application for a construction permit".

The Ministry of Finance and Economy, the AZT and the entity "MTSC" have collaborated BETWEEN THEM, to advertise untrue facts and circumstances, with the aim of falsifying documentation, to justify not only completing the file to obtain a construction permit, but to achieve the main goal, the acquisition of state land property from Carlo Bollinos.

This is easily evidenced by comparing the facts, where Ms. Denaj, after giving a negative response to the AZHT, surprisingly only took action with a request from the entity "MTSC", which on 11.07.2020 asks the MFE to clarify Article 2 and Article 5, point 5.7 of the contract, expressly:

“Following the order to demolish three existing buildings, which was unforeseen at the time of signing the contract, we request that Article 2 and Article 5.7 of Contract No. 2604 Rep., No. 727 Col. be clarified, by adding in the second line, after the word 'reconstruction', the word 'minimally of the total' (removing the word 'total').”

On 17.07.2020, just six days later, Ms. Anila Denaj sends her proposal for the draft decision for consideration by the Ministry of Justice. On 21.07.2020, Anila Denaj sends this draft decision to the Council of Ministers for review and approval. The draft decision requests the amendment of the contract in Article 2 and Article 5, point 5.7, where in the second line, after the word “reconstruction”, “minimally of the total” is added and the word “total” is removed.

Just one day later, the Council of Ministers approves VKM no. 589, dated 22.07.2020, a public document published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Albania no. 139, dated 29.07.2020.

On 24.07.2020, the parties sign the notarial deed no. 1145 Rep., no. 420 Col., amending the contract:

"Article 1

In Article 2 'Purpose of Use' and in the first sentence of point 5.7 of Article 5 'Rights and Obligations of the Tenant', the words 'total reconstruction' are replaced with 'minimum total reconstruction'.”

But even this act was not sufficient to cover the illegalities committed previously and the permit approved in January 2020 could not be clarified. On 04.08.2020, the parties signed another amendment to the contract, no. 1205 Rep., no. 438 Coll., in flagrant violation of VKM no. 589, dated 22.07.2020, which quotes:

"Article 1

The object of this contract is the lease of the state property Former Metal Enterprise Tirana (Watch Department), with a total property area of ??4021.5 m² and a total construction area of ??3048.9 m²...

Article 2

The words 'total reconstruction' are replaced with 'reconstruction of no less than the surface area of ??the existing building'.”

Denunciation of "Plug"/ How Carlo Bollino was forgiven hundreds of

It is clearly established that in this annex-contract, not only the points subject to amendment of VKM No. 589 have been falsified, but also the property data has been changed, setting the construction area at 3048.9 m² and not 2497.04 m², as approved by VKM No. 157, dated 19.02.2020.

Therefore, it is clearly proven that the KKT Construction Permit, dated 13.01.2020, dictated the amendment of the lease contract, and not the other way around. The construction permit was approved only after the lease contract was falsified on 04.08.2020.