The Ministry of Justice's alleged 17 thousand-euro tender

It was June 2021 when Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu had announced to the public in her Facebook account that she has prosecuted the law on the establishment of the Commercial Court. “AID Commercial Justice helping the Ministry of Justice.

Four months later, Vjosa Zejrullahi Shkodra Ahmeti would register the private company “Lex Business S.P.K.”. Each holds a 50 per cent stake in it, while as primary activity, it has <x2 judicial activities”.

The Ministry of Justice, at the request of the State Lawyer, would initiate tender “ ) expertise, Legal, Financial, Economic (bank) services for arbitrage procedure”.

Several companies were in the race, and the tender remained open for several weeks. Finally, two of the three parts of this tender won the firm “Lex Business SH.P.K.”. The value of the shares given to the company, with 50 per cent of the shares, goes to Vjosa Shkodra, totaling nearly 17 thousand euros.

The project where Vjosa Shkodra is deputy chief, that is, Commerial Justice is an activity that U.AID supports the Ministry of Justice in legal reform. Pos Shkodra, in this direct activity, is also involved in the other business partner who won the tender, yes, from the Ministry of Justice, but for arbitration -- an area of commercial justice. The next event, 50 percent at the winning firm, “Lex Business SH.P. K.”, is the Zejrullaha, High Legal Adviser in the USAID Programme Commercial Justice.

Connecting two winning business partners to justice ministry activities

From the winning company, “Lex Business SH.P. K.” has not commented on whether the company itself sees conflict of interest because both partners are directly involved in an activity that helps the ministry to win the tender.

U nAID, which has created this activity to support the Ministry of Justice, has told Insider that it has contracted the same.

“Vyosa Shkodra holds the position of deputy chief of the Commercial Justice activity implemented by “Dexis”, a company contracted by USAID to provide services needed to implement this activity. So USAID doesn't have a direct employer-worker report with individuals and your questions around it should go to contractor”, said the Inseder Geraldine Cernobreg from USAID.

Even the company “Dexis” has said nothing about the case.

Ministry of Justice does not comment on the possibility of conflict of interest

Even in the Ministry of Justice, led by Albulen Hadziu, they have not commented on whether there may be conflicts of interest in this case, given that the two owners of the winning firm are part of an activity that helps the ministry.

In this ministry alone, they have already explained what is known, how this tender was announced.

Based on the demands of the contracted legal firms for representation in the International Referee, the State Lawyer has initiated the open procurement procedure for ʹ expertise services from constitutional, civil and legal rights for three pounds. Of the economic operators that have applied for the tender, the Commission has selected the operator that has met the conditions for drafting two news experts and expertise from constitutional and civil rights. While no operators have been selected for legal expertise and this Ilot” has been cancelled, the Justice Ministry Media Office's response reported.

According to them, procurement procedures -- at the request of the State Lawyer -- are conducted by the Procuration Division, after the budget needed by the Finance Division has been provided.

“State Avocacature initiated these procedures, as independent mechanisms, according to the needs and requirements presented in the International Arbitrazt procedures, while professional procedure steps are not reported nor is approval requested by the Cabinet”, reportedly in response.

Shortly before private business, “Lex Business SH.P. K.” owned by Vjosa Shkodra of Zeymullahi Ahmeti to win the tender of nearly 17 thousand euros from the Ministry of Justice, the Centre for Professional Education of the Kosovo Institute for Justice in co-operation with the USAID Commercial Justice Programme, had organised the first workshop for the third group of students of Legal Clinic.

The topic addressed along this workshop was “The Interdependence of Contemporary Justice”, and the lectures held the two owners of the firm “Lex Business SH.P. K.” presented there by Vjosa Shkodra in the quality of the U Program Deputy Director USAID Commercial Justice and its partner, Nijma Zejundu, High Legal Adviser in the USAID Programme Commercial Justice.