Documents/ From the Ministry of Culture, Mirela Kumbaro to Ajola Xoxa

2025-03-01 14:30:00, Denoncim CNA

In the nearly 400-page decision of Judge Erjon Bani, facts and evidence are presented showing all the institutions that have blessed Ajola Xoxa's companies with funds. One of these institutions is the Ministry of Culture, which was headed by Elva Margariti.

The file shows that public funds in favor of NGOs are actually controlled by citizen Ajola Xoxa, they have not only been distributed by the Municipality of Tirana, but also other public institutions such as the Ministry of Culture as well as the Ministry of Tourism, which has been headed by Mirela Kumbaro since 2021.

This is useful for better understanding the mechanism of money transfer from Public Institutions to NGOs, from them to LLCs and individuals, all controlled, but also closely linked to citizen Ajola Xoxa and the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj.

Ministry of Culture's connections with Ajola Xoxa's NGO

Specifically, with the decision dated 23.12.2024 of the prosecutor, "On Examination/Receipt of Documents", acts related to:

1) The "International Contemporary Dance Festival Tirana 2022" project, which includes concluded contracts, transactions, payments and invoices.

2) The "International Contemporary Dance Festival Tirana 2023" project, which includes concluded contracts, transactions, payments and invoices.

3) Contracts concluded between the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation and the company "Rametal" sh.pk, which include transactions, payments and invoices.

From the review of the documentation administered in the criminal file, it resulted that by means of minutes No. 6446/5 dated 11.02.2022, the Directorate of Conception and Feasibility of Cultural Projects, documented the review of the submitted projects.

Among them, in the entity with number 44 in the ranking, the Entity "HARABEL - CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART" is found, for the project "Digitization of contemporary art in Albania", in the amount of 1,000,000 lek.

Subsequently, on 14.06.2022, the Contract for Financial Support with Public Funds, No. 3260 Prot., dated 14.06.2022, was signed with the Ministry of Culture, represented by Arian AVRAZI, Director of the Directorate for Conception and Feasibility of Cultural Projects, according to the Order of the Minister of Culture no. 93 prot., dated 21.02.2022, and Driant ZENELI, in the capacity of representative of the "HARABEL" Center.

This contract specifies the financing value at 1,000,000 lek, which includes VAT, bank commissions and all fiscal obligations or other obligations recognized by Albanian legislation. The bank account data of the individual beneficiary shows that it is "HARABEL".

"The review has shown that for this case, Expenditure Order No. 468 dated 17.06.2022 of the Ministry of Culture was signed with the following date: Beneficiary Creditor: Harabel Center. Object of expenditure: Project: Digitization of contemporary art in Albania, 60% according to the contract. Amount in lek: 600,000. Attached is Electronic Invoice No. 6/2022 dated 15.06.2022, With Seller: Harabel Center and Buyer: Ministry of Culture. Value: 600,000.00 lek. 76. On 15.09.2022, Balkan Youth Link Albania (BYL-A) in cooperation with D18 Paris addresses the Ministry of Culture for the development of the dance festival KRE "International Contemporary Dance Festival in Tirana".

On 31.10.2022, the Contract for Financial Support with Public Funds, No. 5801/6 Prot, dated 31.10.2022, was signed with the Ministry of Culture, represented by Arian AVRAZI, Director of the Directorate of Conception and Feasibility of Cultural Projects, and "Balkan Youth Link Albania" with Ina Goxhaj, representative of the Center Executive Director, in the capacity of project manager," the investigative file states.

This contract explains the value of the financing in the amount of 3,100,000 lek, which includes VAT, bank commissions and all fiscal obligations or other obligations recognized by Albanian legislation. The payment will be made in 2 phases.

COMMUNICATIONS AND DETAILS
On page 1035 of the communications, it appears that Adela informs Ketrin that the Ministry of Culture's money has been transferred to BYL-A and tells her to close the payments the next day.

The delivery of lek to citizen Ajola Xoxa by the NGO in question is proven by the communications that occurred on page 1050.

Citizen Adela Kondakçiu says: "Hey, Alisa didn't answer you about those points. I'll hand over what's left to Ajola tomorrow." In fact, Alisa's answer is not long in coming regarding the payment of the points.

On page 1063-1064, while Ketrina tells her that she is interested in the points, Adela replies that she is late and adds: "I handed it over to Ajola (the money)." On page 1065, Ketrina asks if she could take it from Xhoi (Skënderas), but Adela tells her that she does not have it. Adela adds that she should talk to Ajola if she has it.

From these communications, it is proven how public funds, allocated in this case by the Ministry of Culture, initially passed to two Non-Profit Organizations under the de facto control of citizen Ajola Xoxa.

Subsequently, the funds were transferred from these organizations to citizen Ajola Xoxa, "Arts Lab" sh.pk, legally owned by citizen Ajola Xoxa's uncle (Erald Simixhiu), but actually owned by the latter, to citizen Valmir Xoxa, a close cousin of citizen Ajola Xoxa, and citizen Ergys Krisiko, a close acquaintance of citizen Ajola Xoxa.

Ministry of Tourism
The complete control of citizen Ajola Xoxa in every direction related to the functioning of the NGOs in question, starting from the moment of applying for projects in state institutions, also results from the communications on page 1076.

Ketrina Braho tells Adela: I received a notification from Ajola to apply to the Ministry of Tourism. Adela replies, "Oh my god," adding that Linda (Kazani) is also applying. This time, Adela tells Ketrina that they will take care of it themselves, because they are terrible.

According to the data in the court decision, it results that Ajola Xoxa's "Harabel" company, financed by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism, and fully controlled by Ajola Xoxa, makes payments in favor of "Ava Studio" shpk, legally owned by her mother.

COMMUNICATIONS AND DETAILS FOR THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

On page 1769 of the communications, Adela Kondakçiu informs Ketrina Brahon that the money was transferred from both the Municipality of Tirana and the Ministry of Tourism.

On page 997, Ketrina is informed by Adela that the Ministry of Tourism's money had been spent, adding that: at least 1 was closed. She also asks her to make the changes to the KRK letterhead that had been made incorrectly the next day, so that the file could be submitted on Friday.

On page 1211, a communication begins related to the project they are doing with the Ministry of Tourism.

Adela asks when the project will end, but Ketrina tells her that it hasn't even started yet. Regarding this project, Ketrina says that they need to determine with Ajola who will be the people and companies that will receive the payments at that moment.

This page also contains a screenshot of a message exchanged between Ketrina Brahos and a person registered on the phone as 'Enkeleda Ministry of Tourism'.

Ketrina asks a question about the reports of payments of people who are in the budget. Ketrina continues by telling her if they could be staff people and they declare them as part of the salary.

The person who appears to work at the Ministry of Tourism replies: I will ask and tell. Then, the same person says: Yes, they can be, but you must bring a signed and stamped receipt.

Regarding the voices, Adela tells Ketrin that they will be for the curator and production manager. So, it is clear that both the placement of the voices and the people who are supposed to perform the services, who are chosen by the "Harabel" staff, are fictitious.

How is Mirela Kumbaro "connected" with the executive director of Ajola Xoxa's Harabel, Driant Zenelin?

In 2018, when Mirela Kumbaro headed the Ministry of Culture, she expressed her belief in representing Albania at the 2019 Art Biennial with the project of Driant Zeneli, who was the director of one of Ajola Xoxa's companies.

"Convinced of the dignified representation of Albania at the 2019 Art Biennial, with Driant Zeneli's project"

As commissioner of the Albanian pavilion, we entrusted the art project, which will represent Albania at the world's largest art event, to the artist Driant ZENELI, with the project titled

"Maybe the cosmos is not so extraordinary."

The title is inspired by the science fiction novel by Albanian author Arion Hysenbegas, "Towards Epsilon Eridanit", published in 1983 (reprinted in full in 2018).

Drianti, who successfully directed the Mediterranean Biennial of Young Artists in Tirana last year, is teaming up with curator Alicia KNOCK, curator at the Center for Contemporary Art in Paris "Georges Pompidou", in the Department of Contemporary Art, in Paris, created and directed by Christine MACEL.

After five very successful editions,

following the pavilions created by artists like Edi Hila and Adrian Paci, Armando Lulaj, Leonard Qylafi, but also by architects like Simon Battisti, or the energetic team of architects of the #TiranaZeroSpace pavilion that continues to be open,

Albania is committed to sharing its best part: Art and Culture with the international public and critics.

"I wish Drianti all the best in this new joint challenge at La Biennale di Venezia," wrote Mirela Kumbaro.

So, Minister Kumbaro's connection with the people who worked in Ajola Xoxa's companies is clear, in this case Driant Zeneli, who turns out to be the director of Harabel. /CNA