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Llogara Tunnel mega-affair, Balluku hides from reporting to the assembly

2025-11-12 17:17:50Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who also holds the position of Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, did not appear on Wednesday in the parliamentary committees to present the draft budget for 2026, despite the fact that the Assembly's Rules of Procedure require the presence of ministers in the reporting.

Since being indicted by the Special Prosecution Office, SPAK, on ??charges of "Violation of equality in tenders" in the construction of the Llogara Tunnel, Balluku has avoided confrontation in Parliament with the opposition, while continuing to remain in office.

The presentation of the draft budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure was on the agenda of the Committee on Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development, but instead of Balluk, two deputy ministers were presented, which was strongly opposed by opposition MPs.

The chairman of the DP parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi, said that "based on the regulation, the responsible minister should have been present", adding that he nevertheless "understood that the minister, instead of giving an account to the Assembly, should give an account to SPAK".

He further insisted that the meeting not continue without the presence of Minister Balluku.

"The minister must be held accountable: how can we trust public money when she is accused of theft?" he addressed the socialist chairwoman of the commission, Anila Denaj.

MP Belind Këlliçi requested the postponement of the session until Balluku appeared as the person responsible for implementing the Budget, while arguing that no government minister had delegated this task to deputy ministers, as it was contrary to the regulations.

Article 80 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly provides that "ministers, the main rapporteur and, as the case may be, special rapporteurs shall participate in committee meetings, who shall make presentations and provide relevant explanations."

Denaj did not give an official explanation for Balluk's absence, while requesting that the committee listen to the presentation of the draft budget by the deputy ministers. Balluk's deputy ministers themselves did not have a clear answer for the reason for Balluk's absence, but defended their presence in the Assembly as legally and legally in order.

"The minister has another state commitment that conflicts with this duty, but he is not obliged to share the agenda with me," said Deputy Minister Enkelejda Muçaj, responding to opposition MPs.

The chairwoman of the committee decided to continue the meeting by asking Balluk's deputies to speak, while the committee continued the debates and the opposition deputies expressed their opposition.

The meeting continued in an absurd situation, where ministry officials spoke into turned-on microphones and the Parliament camera broadcasted only them live to the public, while the MPs were debating and no one was listening to their budget presentation.

Balluku also avoided an interpellation with opposition MPs requested last week, a parliamentary procedure also mandatory for ministers.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Niko Peleshi, justified her absence by the fact that she was under investigation by the judiciary and that the Assembly did not interfere in the affairs of independent bodies.

According to the investigative file and messages exchanged on Signal, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku is accused of controlling every step of the procurement procedure worth 18.9 billion lek for the Llogara tunnel and predetermining the winner, in violation of the standard tender criteria.

Balluku has not commented on the allegations, and Prime Minister Edi Rama has also avoided comments and has not answered questions about whether he would dismiss him from office to face justice, according to a standard he himself previously set for other associates when they were investigated by the judiciary. /Reporter.al


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