Albania: Prosecution probes highway to Kosovo

Albania’s Prosecutor-General Ina Rama is a probing alleged irregularities in the Durres-Morina highway. BIRN reports that the highway is the country’s biggest public works project in decades. Albania: Prosecution probes highway to Kosovo Sources in the prosecutor’s office said that a request has been filed with the government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha to obtain copies of the transcripts of a cabinet meeting where the tender was awarded. Various allegations have been surfaced over the alleged cabinet meeting, according to which there was a heated dispute between ministers over the legality of the tender in question. The road will link Albania’s main Adriatic port of Durres with Kosovo, and is projected to cost over EUR 600mn. Former Prosecutor-General Theodhori Sollaku started an investigation last year into the alleged irregularities surrounding the awarding of the tender which was won by the Turkish-American consortium Bechtel-Enka. The investigation led to a request by Sollaku that parliament lift the immunity of Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha who was at the time of the tender Minister of Transport. Basha’s immunity was lifted by parliament at the end of December. A few weeks earlier President Bamir Topi had dismissed Sollaku, following a call for his sacking by a parliamentary commission, and nominated Rama, a former Serious Crimes Court Judge, as his replacement. Alhough Basha contested the investigation as a politically-motivated attack by Sollaku, since she took over, Rama has continued to push ahead with the probe.

Albania: Prosecution probes highway to Kosovo

Sources in the prosecutor’s office said that a request has been filed with the government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha to obtain copies of the transcripts of a cabinet meeting where the tender was awarded.

Various allegations have been surfaced over the alleged cabinet meeting, according to which there was a heated dispute between ministers over the legality of the tender in question.

The road will link Albania’s main Adriatic port of Durres with Kosovo, and is projected to cost over EUR 600mn.

Former Prosecutor-General Theodhori Sollaku started an investigation last year into the alleged irregularities surrounding the awarding of the tender which was won by the Turkish-American consortium Bechtel-Enka.

The investigation led to a request by Sollaku that parliament lift the immunity of Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha who was at the time of the tender Minister of Transport.

Basha’s immunity was lifted by parliament at the end of December.

A few weeks earlier President Bamir Topi had dismissed Sollaku, following a call for his sacking by a parliamentary commission, and nominated Rama, a former Serious Crimes Court Judge, as his replacement.

Alhough Basha contested the investigation as a politically-motivated attack by Sollaku, since she took over, Rama has continued to push ahead with the probe.