After the ruspas, here come the first building permits, in one of the most beautiful areas of Albania, Thethi in Shkodra, while the first to be "rewarded" are a couple who have a business in that area. A few months ago, bulldozers and heavy vehicles of the National Inspectorate of Territory went to that area, destroying hundreds of buildings, claiming that they did not have permits.
Several territorial protection inspectors were also prosecuted and the chain of command of the Shkodra Police was removed from duty. But, time "heals wounds", or at least for the favorites, as the government has begun to loosen its grip on that area as well. "Fate", or the connections they have created in the government, has smiled on the couple Aida and Petrit Gjeçaj, where the former has also appeared on Prime Minister Edi Rama's podcast and the latter is an investigator for the BKH.
Their names were even mentioned after the government's action in Theth, in the fall of last year, where their business in that area was destroyed by fire. There is still no information whether it was intentional or accidental, while the suspicions at the time were that this particular couple had "spied" on others about illegal construction.
A few months after all these events, the government "rewarded" the Gjeçaj family, quickly approving and issuing a building permit for two adjacent buildings, 4 stories high, which look more like a resort than a house in a mountainous area.
According to documents available to Vox News, a construction permit has been approved for a "hotel building, 1, 3 and 4 floors with an underground floor", located in the Municipality of Shkodra, with the developer Ms. Aida Gjeçaj and Mr. Petrit Gjeçaj. This permit, according to the KKTU, was granted based on the law on territorial planning, the general local plan of the Municipality of Shkodra, and the Council of Ministers for the approval of the regulation on territorial development.


"The study area is located in the Theth valley, Shkodër. It is bordered to the north by the 'Gjeçaj' road and to the south by local secondary roads. This position is favorable due to its proximity to the main road entering Theth, making access to the property easier, and its proximity to the village center ," these documents state.
According to her, currently in the area there are 2, 3-storey buildings. "The square is surrounded by existing 2, 3 and 5-storey buildings, in the north-eastern part an 8-storey building. The territory that is proposed to be developed lies on Gjeçaj Street, Theth, part of the municipality of Shkodra. It is the property of Mrs. Aida Gjecaj, with an area of about 700 m²", the document continues.
This time, the government writes in this permit "that areas and objects of national importance in planning are subject to national planning, they are characterized by special cultural, historical, economic, social or environmental values of one or several structures, installations, networks or areas, which directly aim to realize national interests". So, completely different from what it declared a year ago that the constructions ruined the village of Theth.


Vox News has researched other building permit documents, which show that the facility is proposed to be developed by dividing it into two buildings connected to each other via an elevator and stairwell, becoming one.
"The first building preserves the existing building (2 floors + attic) which is distinguishable by the stone cladding on the facade, and an extension with wooden construction is added which makes it possible to increase the building from 2 floors + attic to 4 floors. The second building is 3 floors with wooden construction and is connected to the other via an elevator-stairs node and connecting corridors. The elevator reaches the 3rd floor, where it then turns into an observation tower with the purpose of a tourist attraction accessible by external stairs starting on the fourth floor," the document states.
According to her, this solution was made to adapt to the morphology of the area and the existing building, but also to create a play on altimetry within the property.
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