Lekaj says he didn't misuse a cent: I am a sacrifice of daily politics

He has suggested that he has never exceeded his powers and misused the minister's position.

In an interview for the Nacional newspaper, Lekaj has said he is clean in this process and that the truth will ultimately prevail.

No cents. Let the citizens know that Paul Lekaj is not accused of having gone into the pockets of Paul, my family, or my circle. So I'm innocent in this process, but I'm a daily policy sacrifice, and I think it's unfair”, Lekaj said.

He has estimated that he has not entered politics to be corrupted.

There's no need to be corrupted. I'm not in politics to corrupt. Because every time in terms of the family economy, I've been good at”, the AAK deputy has indicated.

According to him, his first decision has surprised him badly.

The first degree decision has surprised me badly. Because I consider myself innocent, not just to say I'm innocent, but to argue it. If we get what was written in the indictment, I think I got the wrong address. Because even though I was minister of Infrastructure at the time, I am not the cause of the problems I found as minister in 2017<18x1>, he stressed.

AAK MP Pal Lekaj has suggested that Government Mustafa is responsible in this process.

He has estimated that this government had not responded to the company's requests “Bechtel & Enka”, which were specified in the contract.

I say this because the previous government, exactly Prime Minister Mustafa's Government, has not responded to the invitation that the company that has international renomads and that is powerful and that respects contracts in moderation. And on the other hand, the government has not withheld what it has signed. This contract has not been signed by the Haradinaj government or Minister Lekaj, but is signed in 2012. Work started in 2014, and there were budgetary problems from the beginning --”, Lekaj said.

He has suggested that there were only two solutions in this case.

“We as a government have been ahead of a dilemma, to continue and to carry out our outstanding obligations in the former government with Minister Zharku, or to interrupt the work, the issue to go to arbitration and Kosovo face a serious international company that is powerful. Based on the continued demands of “Bechtel & Enka” and on the continued request of the government Mustafa and Minister Zharku to postpone the contract, it has had to be done”, Lekaj said.

According to him, the company's demand “Bechtel & Enka” has been very strict.

We've come before a dilemma that will sleep on the request of “Bechtel & Enka”, because it's been a strip request either take it or leave it, that you go to arbitration, stop the road. And today the road would be unregulated and recognizing the power of “Bechtel & Enka” I am convinced that it would have won the case in arbitration”, Lekaj said.

Furthermore, MP Lekaj has said that the Government and the Interministerial Committee has made decisions on the issue, not him.

I, as chairman of the Interministerial Committee, have not made a firm executive decision, but have recommended the case to the Government Haradinaj, which has been composed of 19 ministers and the issue has been passed on to the government. The government could have brought him back, said we didn't charge and the case went to arbitration and I hadn't acted on the tour. But, the government unanimously has voted without a single vote, and ministers in the Interministerial Committee have voted”, he said.

The former minister of Infrastructure has suggested that he has been forced to divide resources for the company in question so that it does not harm Kosovo.

Kosovo's “government and I have been forced to make the payment. It has been four months since the contract was completed, only 10 miles [10 km] of asphalt have been laid, and another 56 miles [56 km] have been nowhere. Again, the decision has been made by the government, and the decision has been fair. For I had received the same charge as not to act. Then it would be the biggest damage, then I had felt myself a coward, guilty of not taking action” said Lekaj.