...We are in this project because of you and for you. Just tell me what to do, and I will follow your advice completely...”
This is just one of many messages sent via the Signal app from Greek engineer Ioannis Kirkinezis to former head of the ARRSH, Evis Berberi. In May 2022, he complained to Berberi that things were not going well.
The Greek from the company “Hill Internacional VN”, through phone messages, reminded Berberi that an official from the Albanian National Road Administration had been involved in the supervision of the works of the Llogara Tunnel. For this reason, Berberi had to emphasize the importance and significance of the work, since the implementing company that was building the tunnel was not adhering to the initial project on the ground.
According to the file provided by journalist Elton Qyno, on July 29, 2022, at 6:22 PM, Ioannis Kirkinezis sends Evis Berber the following message:
"...Hi Evis, things are getting worse and worse with the project. I'll send it for you to see with your own eyes and check out our team leader's notes..."
But despite the dissatisfaction and difficulties on the ground, Kirkinezis and his Albanian partner, Valter Begaj, had falsified a series of employment contracts in order to win the 2 million euro tender from Belinda Balluku's ministry.
SPAK's investigation revealed that Valter Begaj's "Net Group" and Kirkinezis' "Hill Internacional VN" have changed 98% of the staff that would supervise the works. Most of the staff presented to the Bid Evaluation Commission, set up by Belinda Balluku's General Secretariat, were changed immediately after winning the tender.
Other engineers were signed to employment contracts, and employees paid 500-700 thousand old lek per month were assigned to supervise the tunnel works. The contracts with Greek and Albanian engineers were falsified; the names of the specialists had never been part of the staff, and they had not signed the contracts – they had been signed by businessman Valter Begaj.
According to the investigative file, from the verification of the supervisor's "Monthly Reports", email communications during the implementation phase, as well as the statements of the persons involved, it results that the specialists engaged in the implementation of the contract were:
Andreas Milioulis
Altin Parllaku
Aris Bletsas
Elina Valeva Kousina
Endri Stafa
Enerti Begaj
Enton Bani
Eridion Disha
Ermir Çupi
Ervin Doçaj
Genci Azizaj
Ilias Michalis
Ilir Troqe
Ioannis Sigalas
Lulëzim Orana
Theodors Kefalas
Tomorr Spahiu
Referring to the contract with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the procurement procedure documentation, the works supervisor was to provide the service with the staff declared during the competition, namely:
Theodoros Kefalas
Angelos Maridakis
Eleftherios Malandrakis
Valter Begaj
Konstantinos Blathras or Luljeta Kuçi
Christina Mavroeidi
Burhan Demneri
George Aleiftiras or Gergji Kotori
George Papaioannou or Meri Lumi
Isa Harizi or Shqiponja Civici
Ervin Doçaj or Fatjona Levani
Ilirian Kokalari
Indrit Shamata or Gjergji Bezati
Damianos Papadopoulos
Endrit Çeli
Erion Lami or Chrysoula Sideri
George Gkrintzos or Luca Falasca
However, according to the SPAK file, with the exception of specialists Ervin Doçaj and Theodoros Kefalas (the latter for a certain period), all other staff were different.
The Ministry of Infrastructure, headed by Belinda Balluku, did not verify the tender documents and the presence of employees on the ground. The members of the KVO turned a blind eye, accepting falsified documents from “Net Group” and “Hill Internacional VN”, who, after winning the supervision tender, overturned 98% of the declared staff of specialists for the supervision of the works./ syri.net