The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha , in a press conference accused the prosecution of deliberate disinformation regarding the company " Bankers Petroleum ".
He stated that the contract with the company was signed by the government of Fatos Nano and contains a stability clause that prohibits changes without the consent of both parties.
According to him, during his government, "Bankers" has paid over 500-600 million euros in rent alone, as well as other obligations to Albpetrol and the Albanian state. Berisha categorically denied the claim that the company has not paid taxes for 20 years.
He emphasized that taxes have also been imposed on the taxpayer and that insurance has been paid for 1,500 workers. Berisha also accused the Rama government of bargaining to drive the company away and hand it over to other dubious interests.
"Don't try to get involved with deception and lies," he concluded.
Sali Berisha's speech:
Now, my reaction was to a question.
And again here, I note that two or three days ago, the media, criminally misinformed by the political prosecutor of Fier, who said in a statement that he has not paid any taxes or obligations in 20 years, rightly started talking about the government headed by Sali Berisha and the subsequent government.
Because they were faced with a public deception by a prosecutor without dignity. Incriminated.
Why do I say this?
Because the Bankers Petroleum contract was not signed by our government, it was signed by the government of Fatos Nano, which, after signing the contract with conditions that we would not sign, also included a clause stating, Article 18 of the contract, that no changes can be made to this contract without the approval of both parties.
This article is called the contract stability article, otherwise the contract is canceled every month.
What did we do?
The company had the largest oil field in Europe. The largest oil field, not at sea, but on land, is Patos Marinzëë, which, according to estimates at the time, was believed to have 6 billion barrels, but it required more specialized methods to extract. So it has a slightly higher cost to extract.
We, following the contract, decided to set the rent.
The rent, and here I have the decision of the Council of Ministers, so to say that even the government - then it commits fraud, the rent was 10 percent of total sales, much greater than the profit tax.
With this tax, which the company accepted, it did not go to arbitration, it could have gone, it could have won, but it did not go, it has paid over 500-600 million euros in rent alone during the period we have been in power.
It has paid the concession fee for Albpetrol. The company is obliged to hand over a percentage of the oil it extracts to Albpetrol. It has paid it regularly. In total, in all years, it can go up to 200-300 million euros.
In addition to these, our tax authorities decided to tax the diluent at the entrance and exit, which to me was unfair because this amount of oil could be treated at the entrance, but not at the exit, because it taxes it twice.
But I did not intervene, even though I had this opinion then and today. Yes, they should have solved it with the court and not with the prime minister. Because it was a problem that the prime minister was interfering with taxes, they no longer do, they destroy them.
They paid social security for 1,500 workers, in addition to salaries. They paid the carbon tax. They refused once, but were forced to pay it.
But how can you say it like that?
These show that someone has their eye on it, has made a deal.
Lubia, who else?
Rama and Lubina are here, no one else can do it, no one else dares.
They have found mechanisms to drive them out and give them to whoever they want, to take it for themselves. I can't say what's going on here.
I don't know the company that bought it at all. The other one was a Canadian public company listed on the stock exchange. It's a Chinese company, I don't know if it's public. It must be listed on the stock exchange because it bought Bankers, the parent company.
So they've set their sights on someone else.
But there is one thing, they should not try to smear me in this way and serve up deceptions and lies.
He hasn't given a penny for 20 years.
What is this?
In 20 years, it has given 1 billion, if you also take into account the payment to Albpetrol and others.