Durim Limaj ties on oil market

Before the cabinet chief was appointed to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MTI), Durim Limaj was directly involved in the oil market in Kosovo through two businesses. It's “Perol where Limaj according to documents provided by ORAinfo figures as an authorized person. This raises doubts based on conflict of interest since MTI, where Limaj currently has a high position, deals with the regulation of the oil sector.

Durim Limaj, as head of cabinet at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), will deal with a sector that seems to know him well. It is about the oil sector, in which Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj's son, before taking office in the ministry, was directly involved through two businesses.

ORAinfo, through a two-week investigation, has found evidence of Limaj's involvement in this sector, before he took up a top position in the ministry that, under the law, deals with the regulation of the oil market. This raises doubts based on the possibility of conflict of interest.

According to documents provided by ORAinfo, Limaj had éhise in business called “Perol-Oil Balkan” and “Mercuriy”, both businesses that deal with oil trade. Both figures Durim Limaj's name as “person authorised”.

The Agency for Registering Business (ARBK) says that “Perol-Oil Balkan” main activity has oil trading, as does the other company “Mercury”.

Both of these businesses, at the Agency for Business Directorship, but also in the Kosovo Tax Administration, figure themselves active businesses.

Limaj himself has declined to explain to these companies ORAinfo ties. ORAinfo has been waiting for an answer for more than two weeks, but he hasn't received a plea. Similarly, Bajram Hasani, minister in the MTI who also comes from the Social Democrat Initiative party, has not provided any clarification.

If this case of interest is qualified, the Anti-Corruption Agency has not responded either.

Meanwhile, ORAinfo has found that “Perol-Oil Balkan”, where Limaj was authorised until his appointment at MTI, has imported to Kosovo a particular type of oil, known as Petrol-Coks. This type of oil is known as oil waste, is used in the industry, and is described as highly harmful to health. The largest import “Perol-Oil Balkan” has had it through 2015-2016.

“Warning”

During Limaj before taking office at the MTI, it was shown to be “ ” that his names be taken out of these businesses at the Agency for Registering Business (ARBK).

But ORAinfo secured the documentation before Limaj's name was concealed from the ARBK at his own request.

According to documents provided by ORAinfo, at “Perol-Oil Balkan” Limajt's name figures as authorized person, along with two others, Blerim Hoxha and Bekim Bytycin. But after the changes made in the ARBK, only Limaj's name is missing.

Even in the other business “Mercury”, Limaj's name figures as authorized person. Even here, like the “Perol-Oil-Balkan”, are the names of Blerim Hoxha and Bekim Bytyqi.

Limaj has not clarified for the paper, nor has the current ties to these two businesses, now that he is high in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

In the latter, Limaj, besides the cabinet chief, is also a senior political adviser and has been seen very close to Minister Bajram Hasani.

Change of administrative instruction, allegations of impact in sector

Upon taking over the position of first in the MTI, Bajram Hasani, who comes from the Social Democrat Initiative party, changed the administrative directive on oil quality control. I return quality control from Customs to inspection troops.

But Hasan's move has been seen most doubts by the head of the Association of Oilkeepers Fadil Beryan.

He in a plea to ORAinfo has called Hasan's move officialisation of manipulations with this sector.

The return of inspection troops only officializes quality manipulation, where they have only issued certificates, without checking quality. Over 50,000 fake certificates were issued, said Behrani.

According to him, the move has to do with someone's interests, as he has said, in the cabinet of Minister Hasani.

Various MTI “Offices, including the minister's cabinet, are not interested in setting rules in this sector, but in benefiting from the amulia created by them themselves”.

The decision had also been sharply rejected by former Trade and Industry Minister Hykmete Bajrami, calling it policy attempts to bring a market that circulates within the year about 1 billion euros./ORAinfo/