Heated debate accompanied Monday’s session in court regarding the Fier incinerator case.
Former Socialist deputy Alqi Bllako, for whom the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) has requested a four-year and eight-month prison sentence with expedited proceedings, has made a series of accusations against said institution and Prosecutor Dritan Prençi.
During the defense’s concluding arguments, the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, who stands accused of abuse of office and corruption, strongly opposed SPAK’s stance during the stages of the process.
“The violation of law is so flagrant that I don’t know if it is due to professional ignorance or personal revenge. Only SPAK can accuse me of a duty that was not my responsibility. It is an overt extralegal standard, leading to a personal vendetta against me. The definition of a high state official is determined by the Constitution. I invited the prosecutor in the preliminary hearing to cite a single law as the basis, but he did not provide any clarification because such a law does not exist. It is as if the court were to send a case for trial with the charge of abuse of office, while in the final conclusions, the prosecution raises the accusation of premeditated murder. It is clearly abuse of power by the prosecutor with the aim of personal revenge. Such a violation will not only be appealed to the Supreme Court, but also to the European Court of Human Rights,” Bllako is quoted to have said during the session.
Even the plant’s certifier, Arben Dervishi, who is also a former vice president of the Albanian Football Association (FSHF), addressed the prosecutor in harsh tones, accusing him of keeping him in prison for 8 months while changing the charges three times.
Dervishi stated that he immediately requests the dismissal of the case and that the prosecutor has abused his duty.
SPAK has requested a total of 83 years in prison for the 15 defendants involved in the Fier incinerator case, including former Minister of Environment Lefter Koka, for whom a six-year and eight-month prison sentence with expedited proceedings is sought.
Previously, the prosecution had requested a change in the charges against Bllako, who held the position of Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and later Director General of the National Agency of Natural Resources.
The prosecution reverted to the initial charge of “abuse of office” as a high-ranking state official rather than a public official, which carries heavier implications.
Investigations into the Fier incinerator concluded in December 2022. According to SPAK’s allegations, 4 million euros were paid for work that was never completed, while the fraudulent scheme caused a 60 million Albanian lek damage to the state budget.
On May 29th, 2023, the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime accepted the expedited trial for the vast majority of the 20 defendants in this case. The expedited trial avoids calling witnesses to the courtroom or presenting evidence by the parties, while offering the accused the opportunity to receive a one-third reduction in their sentence if convicted.
Only three of the defendants did not accept the expedited trial and requested a full continuation of the process, namely Etleva Kondi, member of the concession committee; Arenc Myrtezani, administrator of “Integrated Technology Waste Treatment Fier”, the concessionaire company; and Giuseppe Ciaffaglione, administrator of the concessionaire company “Integrated Energy BV SPV”, who is accused of corruption for paying the father of former SP deputy Alqi Bllako, who was fictitiously employed by the company.
All those involved in the Fier incinerator case face charges of corruption, abuse of office, and money laundering.
