Ahmetaj: Rama acted as the prosecutor and the judge against me

2024-02-01 21:02:00, Politikë CNA

Ahmetaj: Rama acted as the prosecutor and the judge against me

Former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj

Former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, in his first appearance after leaving Albania, has accused Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Ahmetaj said on Çim Peka's show that Rama made the prosecutor and the judge against him and according to him this was one of the reasons why the citizens did not believe him.

"The issue of incinerators was initially focused on Elbasan and Fieri, on the procedures. I have declared it before the Albanians. It is documented with papers. Maybe 9 months ago they didn't believe me, because of the emotion, because of the media attack paid by the incinerators, because of the prime minister's zeal to make me the prosecutor and the judge, or to strip me of all political functions, no I say governmental, deserved. All this had convinced me that I was facing an organized, expected strike and when all the actors engaged against my strike, as of September 2021", he said, while focusing more on the procedures of incinerators.

The former deputy prime minister claimed that he did not participate in any procedure for the 3 incinerators of Elbasan, Fier and Tirana.

"I had no part in the file of Elbasan and Fier, because as I have explained to the Albanians, I have no firm in the procedure. I did not participate in the evaluation, procurement, or selection. I had zero involvement", continued Ahmetaj.

Further, he stated that the justice institutions are investigating his whole life, but according to him, this is not happening because of the incinerators.

"Arben Ahmetaj's whole life is being investigated, except for the incinerators, his whole life. Even my relationship with my partner, Eriola, since it started. Even with whom I drank coffee, talked, had lunch and traveled with. But only the procedure of incinerators not, and incinerators. Why? Because I am not part of the procedure. I'm not part of it. Not being part of the procedure I did neither out of necessity nor out of pleasure, but I did not have such a function to be involved in the procedure, I was not a contracting authority. I even said it. In my official functions, I never have the opportunity to either grant construction permits or make procurements. A 1.1 billion dollars in reconstruction is made, all procurements are made by third parties, subcontracting authorities established by law and government decisions. I am not being investigated for the incinerators, my life is being investigated. It's interesting. The suspicions in the file are the first for concealment of income, the second for corruption and the third for money laundering," the former prime minister emphasized./ CNA