Pal Lekaj says that he has not been equipped with charges, hearings for the case of 53m euros

In this case, Paul Lekaj, former minister of Infrastructure, Eset Berisha, his senior political adviser, as well as Nebil Shatri, former Secretary General at the Ministry of Infrastructure (MI) and Besim Tahiri, director of Public Procurement in MI, are being charged by P The SRK that in the case of implementing the “Pristina-han of Elez R6” project, they have mishandled their official duty, with the budget of the Republic of Kosovo's budget being caused damages worth 38m and 321 thousand and 346 euros, reports “The Law for Justice “.

At the beginning of Wednesday's session, Lekaj said he was not equipped with an indictment, so proposed that the sessions be postponed for 10 days' maximum.

The same said his preliminary lawyer was not equipped with charges either.

Special prosecutor Valdet Gashi has rejected this proposal and proposed that the indictment be read.

Prosecutor Gashi said the prosecution has evidence that all sides in the procedure are equipped with paperwork.

Later, the proposal for delaying the session has rejected Judge Violet Namani, while the session was interrupted and is expected to continue during the day.

Otherwise, the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK) on February 4th, 2021, filed charges against Paul Lekaj, Eset Berisha and Ne praising Shatri.

And on February 19, The PSRK announced that in this regard, on February 18th, an indictment has also been filed against Besim Tahiri.

According to the indictment filed on February 4th, 2022 by the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo, on September 27, 2017, Pal Lekaj, in the quality of the Ministry of Infrastructure Ministry (MI) and as chairman of the Interministerial Committee (KDNM) and Nebinder Shatri, as secretary-general in this ministry, in co-operation and deliberately, even with the defendant Tahiri é director of Public Procurement in MI, who for the time being peaceful for the prosecution, using the office and authority, having overstepped competencies, and failed to fulfill the official duties, with the intent of bringing harm to the other person's budget in Kosovo.

The charge is said to be the same, contrary to the 04/04 Public Procurement Law. L- 042, Stattatin and KDNM's Code of Conduct and the terms of the July 1st 2014 contract have signed agreements on MI's behalf as employers on one side and the joint venture “Bechtel & Enka” as contractor on the other, for extending the term for completion of the work for even 347 days and from January 18th 2018 as defined in the basic contract, until December 31st, 2018, not specifying the financial cost.

The move, according to the prosecution, has left open the possibility of OE “Bechtel & Enka” so that on November 27, 2017, I can submit to the employer the request for additional payment of 63m euros, on behalf of the extension of the completion deadline, which has subsequently dropped to the value of 53m and 100 thousand euros.

As a consequence of these actions of the defendants, the same has been approved for payment by the Government of Kosovo, much which is in full conflict with the opinion of contract supervisor “Heil International”, under the cerrast, as a result of the actions of the defendants, the Kosovo budget, has been caused to suffer damages of 38 million and 321 thousand and 346 euros.

At the second point of the indictment, Eset Berisha continues from September 27th to June 5, 2018, in Pristina in the quality of official persons -- Lekaj and his senior political adviser -- Eset Berisha deliberately and in co-operation with each other, using the official position, with the implementation of the project “Auttastrada Pristina Hani of Elez R6 “ -- have acted in full opposition to the rules laid down with the Public Procurement Act, Rule Number of the RKStu and the Order of the Inter-Stutorial Office.

As stated in the indictment, Lekaj, after signing the agreement with OE “Bechtel & Enka” as at the first point of the indictment device, in the quality of KDN's chairman, without informing him and taking the consent of the other members, has committed Berisha to the quality of his political adviser, to participate in negotiations with <x2Betel & Enka<3>, with the goal of determining the financial cost under the September 2717 agreement, outside of those positions and whose political advisers are in office.

In the indictment, Berisha has reportedly held talks with representatives of “Bechtel & Enka” and, in full compliance with Lekay, agreed that on behalf of extending the completion deadline until December 31, 2018, MIT) paid the economic operator additional financial costs worth 45m euros, which at T's expense amounted to additional financial costs. V The 18% US totals 53m and 100,000 euros.

P The SRK claims that with the aim of implementing their plan, Lekaj and Berisha, they have generally ignored KDNM members and the Project Implementation Unit, organs which, according to the Stattu, have had authorisations to develop conversations and make decisions on all issues related to the implementation of this project, and also on the topic of development of negotiations, and the determination of costs to extend the deadline.

Also reported in the indictment, Lekaj with Berisha's help, in terms of implementing the goal, has generally ignored the opinion of the project supervisory company “Hil International”, under which the opinion of the actual and allowed to extend the completion of the work is 14 million and 778 thousand and 654 euros and 87 cents, just as it was presented at the A post of the request of “Betel & Enka”, for contrasting from point B and C for additional costs, which are totally unacceptable and unacceptable.

Moreover, according to the prosecution ignoring the opinions of the supervisory company “Hil International” comes to the fore even when the defendant Lekaj himself never presented this opinion at KDNM meetings, held for that purpose.

Even in the indictment act, Berisha, on June 1st 2018 in full opposition to his responsibilities and full co-operation with Lekaj, has been pressured by the director of the MI Legal Department, Avdi Cameroll, demanding a change of preliminary legal opinion, in which opinion about the request for financial costs, in addition, has been found: the other “OpioneeI consider that people responsible for contract management and supervisory company <x1H2> as the representative of the Public Deposor's Department as a signatory>.

So it is said that then Cameroll under pressure has been forced to change the original version of the first opinion, by cérast has drafted the new version by removing the company “International Hill” and leaving as a competent side for additional opinions just the Procurement Department, these actions that have preceded executing the execution of the payment for extending the completion deadline.

The charge in the indictment is said to have prompted KDNM members who faced such a situation before false facts at the June 5th 2018 meeting to make their decision, recommending the Government to approve the request of “Bechtel & Enka” for the payment of 53 million and 100 thousand euros in the name of the extension of the completion deadline.

At the end of the indictment, it is reportedly based on the fact that the supervisory company “Hil International” has given the opinion that the value of the 14 million and 654 euros of 87 euro is the real value and that the only one to be paid OE “Bechtel-Enka” in the name of the completion deadline for the project in question, with which assessment has been reconciled <x4Bech>&Enka”, as referred to by a large range of 53 million euros in terms of payment for the amount of actions that resulted in excess of the $386 million budget.

By these deeds, described at the point of one and two of the charge, P The SRK indictees charge that in co-ordination they have committed criminal work “The use of official position or authority” by Article 422, par.1 concerning KPRK's Article 31.