Even Erion Veliaj involved in Intensive scandals

The Special Prosecution Investigation File shows that the concessional waste treatment project in Tirana was an initiative by Mayor Erion Veliaj, which was rejected by Finance Minister Arben Ahmetaj. Following the project were Klodia Zoro and Mirel Murray again.

In January 2016, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj sent a proposal to the government on the possibility of including the private sector in the area of managing and treating the capital's urban remains, through a contract on public-private partnership, PPP.

Through a letter sent to the address of then Finance Minister Shkelqim Cani, Veliaj supports the idea in a feasibility study drafted by the International Finance Corporation, the IFC, for PPP and a study by the Japanese International Corporation, JICA, for expanding the waste location in Sharra.

“ ... requires approval of the Ministry of Finance for this initiative, which will provide a quality service and according to European standards for citizens and the environment in Tirana,” is said in the letter to Mayor Veliaj.

Mayor Veliaj has publicly denied in the past that he had an active role in the process of conception of waste in Tirana, but the Special Prosecutor's investigative documents provided by BIRN show Veliaj was the initiator of this project and that his proposal opened the green light for the concession of Tirana's intensor.

However, Veliaj's proposal was initially met with eyebrow wrinkles in the government.

The prosecution's investigations show that Minister of Honor Cani and later Arben Ahmetaj became a barricade against Tirana's municipal proposal, resulting in the involvement of the Ministry of Environment in procedures. Along with the Ministry of Environment, Klodian Zoro was included in the project.

Veliaj did not answer BIRN's questions until the publication of this scripture. In a response sent 24 hours after publishing the writing, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj claimed his proposal for The PPP for the treatment of remains in Sharra was based on the IFC project that started at Lulit '%s' and has nothing to do with the concession contract currently being investigated by the SPAK.

For the IFC project, which I found performed in Baski with 37eu tone, I wrote to the government and refused. Right! Then comes the government's unrecognized proposal, which today is in SPAK!” writes Veliaj.

Ahmetaj's refusal

Shkelqim Cani left the office of finance minister in February 2016 and was replaced by Arben Ahmetaj. Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj submits the letter with the proposal for construction with the new minister's PPP.

The investigative file reveals that the paperwork has the same content as that of January, with the only addition reportedly being sent in a feasibility study. Ahmetaj does not approve the proposal, for according to him: “argues whether the proposed PPP project has cheaper costs than in the event it is made with public procurement with state funds. ”

Negotiations on adopting the project later take over the Ministry of Environment.

An email from March 2nd 2016, seized by the prosecution in Klodian Zozo's computer, indicates that an environmental Ministry employee, Vladimir Bezhani, had sent him a document titled “Bashkia Tirana”.

The document is a letter by former Environment Minister Lefter Coca to Erion Veliaj, where he expresses agreement with Tirana's municipal proposal and suggests establishing a joint working group. Bezhani addresses Godo with the words: “Look at him and tell me if you agree. ”

Environment Ministry sends back to the Ministry of Finance an argument why variant The PPP would be cheaper than procurement with state funds, but is again refused. According to the SPAK, the subject was written by Klodian Zoro.

General Budget Director at the Ministry of Finance Mimoza Begbi argued that the draft project had individual character and as such was out of the scope of the Directorate General of the Budget responsibility.” The same argument in refusal used and Minister Ahmetaj in response to the Ministry of Environment.

Ahmetaj denies several other times granting approval as the minister responsible for budgetary ceilings and financial implications of projects in public- private partnership with the argument that it is not clear who will make the payments, with what funds will become the expropriation of land for expansion of the land and that the permanent investment rate (IRR) is miscalculated 5%, with the result of 8%.

This letter, Environment Ministry employee Alba Thoma, sends it to former Environment Ministry Secretary General Alqi Blaaco with text “Uh-huh. She sends the letter back to her personal email and sends it to Klodia Zoos.

Zoro then sends an email to Alba Thomas in January 2017, which says “Final MF Responses by MM”.

This reply, written by Zoro, would be used to be sent to the Ministry of Finance by the Ministry of Environment and explained that budgetary support for the central government, as municipalities in Tirana could not afford costs.

The finance ministry again refuses to grant approval.

After this idea, Minister Coca sends another letter to Arben Ahmetaj explaining that the expenses for expropriation of land and payments for waste being processed will be met by the municipality itself with funds of unconditional transfers making the budget.

Ahmetaj calls for writing approval from the Tirana district, according to the financial model the Ministry of Environment had sent. On March 27, 2017, Erion Veliaj submits approval to Environment Ministry Secretary General Alqi Blaako.

Ahmetaj refuses to approve it until the Environment Ministry e-mails the letter of approval from Erion Veliaj. It then gives way to the procedure by expressing “without comments”. The answer is sent 16 minutes later by Alba Thomma to Klodian Zozo's email address. According to the SPAK investigation, “Ahmetaj does not prevent this procedure despite the problems it presented”.

Zoto and Resentment After Tirana Intenserator

The Special Prosecutor's investigative documents suggest that the entire procedure for obtaining intensification of Tirana's intensive concession has been directed and co-ordinated by Klodian Zozo and Mirel Meriri, and that after the promise received by officials, they have started researching companies “pressive” in the area of waste management.

During managing materials found on the computer of Klodian Zozo, investigators have encountered a document created on June 15, 2016, author Vladimir Bezhan, an environmental ministry employee. It's about a letter in English that after Bezhani had worked, Zozo had modified it.

“Letra addressed the Minister of Environment, Lefter Coca and Mayor Tirana Erion Veliaj, where it was estimated that the Energy Recuerator S.p.a societies; Demare S.r.l; Arcadis S.r.l; Paul Wurth S.a and ITSsh.k, specialising in the construction of landfields, building intensaries, etc., features letters of interest for integrated management of Tirana's remains,” reported in files.

The file shows that Zoro not only drafted the paper of interest on behalf of companies but also the criteria that would be placed in the race, even though the offer received bonus points. In an email to Alba Thomas in April 2017, Zoro writes: “I have left some comments, because it must be fulfilled by you. It's not about criteria. Then hand over to the company that will fill out the tender criteria and send it to his foreign friends.

According to SPAK, the concessionary company “Integrated Energy BV SPV has only partnered Dutch company “Integrated Energy BV” and in 2017 its leading directors were Klodian Zono and Giseppe Ciaffaglione, the last to be declared righteous in relation to Fieri's intensive.

The company's offer Integrated Energy BV SPV was classified by the Bidding Rating Commission by 100 points out of the possible 100.

The file shows the way Klodian Zoto e-mailed the contract and updates former Secretary-General Alqi Blako with decisions the Municipal Council for the contract.

On September 21, 2017, an e-mail from the Tirana Municipal Council arrives on the e-mail of Zoro.

“Inland was a draft letter from the Municipal Council Tirana authorising the mayor of Tirana to sign the commitments of the Tirana district units, we have submitted the concession contract signed by the Environment Minister,”, reportedly in the file.