Belinda Balluku sinks Albania with 100 million euros in the Arbitration for the Container Concession

2022-11-13 14:53:57Investigim SHKRUAR NGA ENDRIT HABILAJ
Belinda Balluku sinks Albania with 100 million euros in the Arbitration for the
Belinda Balluku

The unilateral termination of the concession of the terminals of the Port of Durrës by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy may cost the Albanians more than 100 million euros in fines.

The international arbitration of the World Bank, where Kurum has filed the lawsuit since September 23, 2020, has started the process of administering the evidence and documentation of the file.

This is the last procedural step, to then move on to the process of examining the lawsuit and finally making the decision.

The lawsuit against Albania was registered by the companies registered in Albania, 'Durrës Kurum Shipping shpk', 'Durrës Container Terminal Sha', 'Metal Commodities Foreign Trade Corp', registered in the USA and 'Altberg Developments LP' in Great Britain.

The lawsuit was filed after the termination of the contract by an Albanian court and the seizure of the terminal by the bailiffs. The companies are seeking 100 million euros in damages, a figure that could rise even further if the lawsuit is lost and defense costs are added.

The unilateral termination of the contract does not seem to have been thoughtless, but a genuine corrupt scenario. A few months after this concession was removed from Kurumi, which had won it since 2013, it was given to the company 'Hili Company Limited', registered in Malta with number C62988.

The concession was granted to the new company for 3.8 billion lek, or 32 million euros for five years. The contract was signed on March 8, 2021.

Malta is known as a tax haven. From the data declared in the NRC, behind the Hili company stands a large number of shareholders. 60 percent of the shares are owned by the company 'MEH Holdings' owned by the Maltese citizen, Marin Hili.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ, linked Marin Hill's name to a network of at least 25 companies registered in Malta and other countries known as tax havens.

His name also appears in the latest publication of the multitude of documents in the 'Pandora Papers' scandal. The ICIJ raises suspicions that Hili serves as a cover, while the income secured through dubious concessions and tenders ends up in the pockets of the power holders behind it.

Dyshimet e ICIJ mbeten të paprovuara në rastin e Portit të Durrësit, por nëse nisemi nga teoria e rrjetit ndërkombëtar të gazetarëve investigativë, atëherë pyetja që ngrihet është se kush qëndron pas Marin Hilit te PPP-ja e Portit të Durrësit?

Në këtë rast, lista emërore mund të reduktohej në një grusht personash nëse kihet parasysh vendosmëria e autoriteteve për të ndërprerë koncesionin me Kurumin, edhe pse kjo mund t’u kushtojë shqiptarëve një gjobë të majme mbi 100 mln euro dhe se kush ka qenë në krye të Ministrisë së Infrastrukturës që ka udhëhequr, si procesin e largimit të Kurum, edhe procesin e tenderit të ri.

Të gjitha rrugët të çojnë te një emër, ai i Belinda Ballukut. Balluku e mori detyrën në janar të 2019-s. Pak muaj më vonë nisi beteja e Autoritetit Portual të Durrësit dhe Ministrisë me Kurum dhe kompanitë e tjera që qëndronin pas këtij koncesioni.

Kompanitë paditën në gjykatë vendimin e autoriteteve për ndërprerjen e njëanshme të kontratës, por në vendime të konsideruara të dyshimta prej tyre, gjykatat i dhanë të drejtë Ministrisë së Infrastrukturës.

E gjithë çorba është gaturar, siç duket me një qëllim të vetëm; marrjen e një koncesioni fitimprurës me kosto shpenzimesh zero. Por, koston në këtë rast rrezikojnë ta paguajnë shqiptarët, që për pesë vite mund t’u kushtojë 100 milionë euro e një gjobe të mundshme dhe 32 milionë eurot që do të paguhet Marin Hili, apo ata që qëndrojnë pas tij.

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