
The Democratic Party has requested an urgent interview with Prime Minister Edi Rama on the issue of incinerators, on Thursday, July 20.
The head of the DP parliamentary group Gazment Bardhi said that Arben Ahmetaj's file is shocking and needs clarification.
Bardhi underlines that the mafiosi of the incinerators, as he called them, continue to be paid from the state budget. He also asked for agreement on the request of the Reestablishment for a motion with debate.
Decision of the DP Parliamentary Group:
In the request signed by no less than 7 democratic deputies, it is evident that: "In more than one case, the justice bodies have established that the three concession/PPP procedures were carried out in violation of the law, causing the State Budget a significant financial loss. It is even a fact that even though millions of euros have been paid from the State Budget, the waste problem in Elbasan, Fier and Tirana districts has not been solved yet".
There are two issues highlighted by the deputies and for which Prime Minister Edi Rama must provide explanations:
In the request submitted this Monday to the Assembly, the deputies emphasize that: "Although it is already proven that in this affair worth at least 430 million euros, a significant financial damage has been caused to the State Budget, it does not result that the state institutions have undertaken actions to correct the illegality and avoid financial damage to the State Budget. The 3 declared owners of the incinerators are internationally wanted persons, but even though they are on the run, the state institutions continue to be their financiers, continuing the payments for unfinished work. Practically, state institutions, through payments from the State Budget, are serving as financiers of their lives on the run."
For this reason, the MPs request the development of an urgent interpellation with the Prime Minister to report on the actions and inactions of the state institutions regarding the illegality found in the 3 concession/PPP procedures of the incinerator of Elbasan, Fier and Tirana, the measures taken for the repayment of the financial damages caused to the State Budget and the measures taken to immediately stop the payments that are the result of 3 illegal contracts and that result in being affected by the phenomenon of massive corruption. The MPs requested that the request for an urgent interpellation with the Prime Minister be included in the agenda of the session of 20.07.2023, as the first item on the agenda.
SPAK has sent to the court the request for the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, who is being investigated for three charges of "non-declaration, false declaration and concealment of wealth", alone and in cooperation, "Passive corruption of high state officials or to local elected officials" in six cases, "Cleaning the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity".
It is a voluminous file where, in addition to Ahmetaj, there are other people involved, and it is not surprising that SPAK can request measures for other people, among them businessmen.
A few days ago, the Assembly removed Ahmetaj's mandate and paved the way for the arrest and inspections of SPAK in his apartments.