The arrest of Beqaj and his associates, SPAK reveals fraud scheme with extinguishing bills, as was “ex1> tender 125 000 euros

On an Official Notification The SPAK explains roles and the way the funds were abused and exploited, extinguishable bills and reverberated “ ”.

The SPAK suggests that investigations within this criminal prosecution have been carried out in co-operation with the structures of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH).

In analysis of the evidence collected up to this phase of the investigation, it has proved that:

1. Person under investigation Ilir Beqaj. in the quality of the SASPAC General Director, acting as a commissioner in co-operation with the under-investigation person Ermal Kurtoulay, appointed by the person himself under investigation Ilir Beqaj. in the 2605.2022 office coordinator “Facilitty Point” for the EUSAIR project, at SASPAC, in the years 2022-2023 allegedly carried out extinguish procurement procedures contrary to rules “PRAG” defined in the EU “Financial Figurative Implementation Rules”, applicable to all EU external assistance contracts financed by the EU General Budget and the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) and binding to implement under Article 5 letters “of Law No. 37/2015 “For the Ratification of the Framework Agreement between the Republic of Albania, represented by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the European Commission for EU Financial Support Implementation Rules for Albania, under the Instrument for the Association of Membership (IPA II)”.

At least eight provided services within events: “Mbi organisation of Conference FESTA (The Future of Sustainable Environmental Tourism in Albania”, as well as “Power Conference”, organised in 2023, has not been subjected to a regular procurement procedure, but the winner has agreed and defined much before the procurement procedure, which has been implemented in a non-stopty, for documentation and payment.

These tenders have been developed under competitive negotiation procedure or simple procurement, which are ordered to be carried out by the person under investigation, Ilir Beqaj. in the quality of the General Director, who has signed since agreeing to perform the assigned service, to the invitations he was sent to the subjects to submit bids according to the type of procurement, to the commission's order to establish the bidding assessment, to the paperwork that was sent to the winners after the evaluation of the contract, these documents designed, completed and signed later, by the binding and implementation of the contract.

Regarding these service contracts, it is listed:

First: Procured “Service for Conference Organisation 03-05 April 2023 “E Albania's Sustainable Environmental Tourism Future FESTA Technical Assistance IPA CBC, the Adion” Project, worth 125,000,00 Euro, is the same as the one promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (at the cost of contract price 38.509.550 leks) for the same event as the “Festa <x3x4>, contracted in both cases the same commercial society called <x5L... International<6> H. and Executive Director Person Under Investigation A. N.

The only service offered under this event from this commercial society is the organisation of dinner, which is organised by the commercial company “A... F.... And H... Lab” sh.p.k, known as the “G restaurant....” is worth $4,189,000.

Second: Those under investigation have performed the services themselves (with much lower spending) by then procurement to other legal persons “N. S. Int” sh.p.k with Administrative Ortak person under investigation E. M. and person under investigation B. Mr. for material gain;

Third: Trade companies contracted to organise events have made irregular profits in the form of utility purchases at the restaurant “G... ..”, or carried out in the form of payments through other physical persons, with the aim of endless embezzlement by persons under investigation, Ilir Beqaj. And Ermal Kurtulay.

Fourth: In cases where projects mounted by the SASPAC have provided services under 2,500 euros, where according to rules “PRAG” only comes true with the acceptance of the bill, resulting on itself, as direct buyers of the cavierging service services they have committed actions to hide the beneficiaries directly. They've billed this service to other physical persons with the same object activity, while the service has been offered by restaurant “G...”. These actions have been aimed at hiding the link of persons under investigation Ilir Beqaj of Ermal Kurtulaj with the “G restaurant... ..”.

2. The under investigation person Ilir Beqaj allegedly carried out false statements on his property from 2020 onward, as he has hidden his rich interests over the restaurant “G... with a address to Tirana Castle, from the creation to the ongoing. Although his wife has found de jure partners in this society at 15% size by 2020, then donating her quotas to the other partner, the partner has in fact been the person under investigation I. B., who has come along as such during the time the SASPAC led.

The underinvestment person Beqaj is suspected to have invested in the company in at least 21.411 euros and 4.66.110 dollars in equipment purchases (entires) and the amount of 34.783 Euro in the form of expenses as rent and so forth, not declaring them as loans to society. His rich interest in this restaurant has been exercised through the person under investigation by Ermal Kurtulay, who has managed them, being employed in this restaurant since his establishment, but without being declared employed by tax organs.

The man under investigation, Ilir Beqaj, has even hidden the playable car wealth with AB license plates... D.A. purchased in 06.09.2019, on behalf of the person under investigation, Ermal Kurtulay.

After conducting many investigative actions, as well as managing the Special Prosecutor's Tests, he has sought into the First Scale Special Court for Corruption and Organised Crime, the appointment of personal security measures in charge of persons to whom investigations are conducted under this proceedings.

First Stairway Special Court on Corruption and Organised Crime with Decision No. 65, the date 03.07.2024 has set the appointment of personal security measures with a key character “arrest to prison”, envisioned by Article 238 of the Penal Procedure Code for Three Persons Under Investigation; the security measure “Arrest at home”, designed by Article 237 of the Criminal Procedure Code for Two Under Investigation; and the measure of security “commitment to be presented to the trial police<5>, predicted by the 234 K4 K. P. The crime, for two others under investigation, suspected of committing criminal acts “passive corruption of top state officials”, carried out in co-operation, envisioned by Article 260 and 25 of the Penal Code, the active “corruption of senior public officials”, envisioned by Article 245 of the Penal Code, “Refuse for declaration, non-declaration, hiding or the false declaration of property, the private interests of elected persons and public servants or any other person who has a legal obligation to be committed to the <125th> from the 238th). Penal Code, “Deception” carried out in collaboration, with grave consequences envisioned by Article 143/2/3 of the Penal Code, and “The violation of the equality of participants in tenders or public auctions”, conducted in collaboration envisioned by Article 258/2 and 25 of the Penal Code.

On the part of the National Bureau of Investigation officers, as well as the structures of the Directorate General of State Police, six personal security measures for persons under investigation have been executed so far, while actions are being carried out for executing the move for the other person under investigation.

In the investigation, checkups have been exercised in several residences, and in one of the offices of the commercial society, where documents and notebooks, amounts of about 47. Thousands of euros and 700,000 dollars, telephone cameras with interest in the investigation, etc.

Investigations continue regarding the collection and provision of evidence for others involved in these actions, as well as other criminal facts related to checks exercised on December 28, 2023.