Veliaj (with a waiter's apron), more abandoned than ever for Eid

2024-04-10 20:03:00, Politikë CNA

Although it is written in all the holy books that charity should not be mentioned and trumpeted, Erion Veliaj has continued the tradition of distributing a plate of soup in front of the cameras for this Eid. But this time, unlike before, he was abandoned and accompanied only by his employees.

In the spectacle where the mayor plays the role of a waiter with a red apron, Elvana Gjata and Noizi, as well as the actors of Orange, were absent, as well as the heads of religious communities or the well-known journalists who proudly appeared alongside him before.

After the scandal with the directors of the "5D" company, who spent the public money that they tendered themselves in their own private company, the image of Veliaj has degraded excessively and it is not as easy as before to appear on his side. All the more so that after the organization of the Municipality is accused by SPAK of diverting over 20 million euros in 23 tenders, to build palaces and private hotels in the name of the arrested directors, becoming a part of the farce of charity for the impossible is a position of difficult.

In the past, even Eneda Tarifa had no problem saying: "If she had become a mother of three like Erion Veliaj, I don't know where we would be this 4-year-old"? Not even Çilieta Xhilaga, to return the plaque: "Lali Eri is one of those boys who knows how to win the heart of the youth and he won my heart too". Nor did Ermal Mamaqi recite: "With Lal at the helm, the change has become tangible in every alley and corner of the city."

Should the VIPs who called to vote for Veliaj apologize?
April 1, 11:33

But now things seem to have changed. This April 10, although Lali wore the red apron, although he swore he felt fit, none of those formers were seen handing out food by his side.

The only ones who did not abandon him in this propaganda farce were Irfan's troubled media, Balkanweb, Panorama and News 24.

This was the first operation of the charity since the main people of Veliaj ended up in handcuffs, suspected of corruption.

On March 28, the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime announced that it had issued arrest warrants for a number of senior directors of the Municipality of Tirana, including Redi Molla, former director of the Tirana Water Pipeline Operator UKT and Mariglen Qaton, former director of the Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory (IMT). Both are accused of corruption and non-declaration of private interests as public officials, after they were denounced last year by the former deputy of the opposition, Belind Kelliçi.

According to the accusations, Molla and Qato were de facto owners of a private company participating in the tenders issued by a number of public institutions, including UKT itself and the Municipality of Tirana./ Lapsi.al