a minute agoFormer director of KEDS/ KESCO, Ylber Batalli appointed new KEK director
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Ylber Batalli, former director of KEDS/ KESCO has been elected the new KEK director. The KEK board has praised Batalli with maximum scores during the selection process, but his name has not yet been announced publicly due to legal deadlines for complaints, Infocus reports. Ylber Batalli is a known name in the sector, having [...]
Ylber Batalli, The former director of KEDS/ KESCO has been elected the new KEK director.
The KEK board has praised Batalli with maximum scores during the selection process, but his name has not yet been announced publicly due to legal deadlines for complaints, reports Infocus.
Ylber Batalli is a known name in the sector, as it has a long and comprehensive experience in the energy sector, both within Kosovo and on the international stage. He served as director of the Legal Office and then as secretary to the distribution and power supply company KEDS/ KESCO, from 2013 to 2016. Prior to the privatisation of the distribution sector, he was employed in KEK in high managerial positions, and has made commitments to the Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE), representing full knowledge of the institutional architecture of the energy sector.
Currently, Ylber Batalli is Legal Energy Professional at the American company Tetra Tech International Development Services, which he has held since August 2016.
He is still engaged in the post and currently works in Ukraine as an international expert under a project to reform and commercialise the energy sector, reports Infocus newspaper.
In the academic aspect, Batalli has conducted research on LLM in Energy Law and Policy (Energy Law and Policy) at University of Dundee, in the United Kingdom, within the prestigious CEPLP Center . Center for Energy, Petroleum and Miner Law and Police, information that has been published.
KEK the focus of multimillion-dollar corruption relatives under Kurti's rule
The appointment of the new director comes after a long period of doubts and relatives at KEK, which culminated in former director Nagip Krasniqi's arrest in March 2023, of serious corruption allegations and misuse of official office. According to the indictment filed by the Special Prosecutor, Krasniqi is accused of misusing the official position or authority, conflict of interest, exercise of influence and frame of tenders.
Since his arrest, KEK has been operating temporarily with task officers, with several successive shifts at the top of the management. Dozens of scandals have been published in the media, including the one with messages, where a group was found in the Whatsapp, where the activities of procurement and electricity trading were coordinated. Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the informal person Dejona Mihali and Minister Artane Rizvanolli were also involved.
The Kosovo Energy Corporation is the most involved public company in allegations of multimillion misuse during the government's mandate, Kurti, including suspicious tenders, violations of legal procedures and favourations in public contracts. Numerous areas have been handled by media and justice organs, while the government itself has avoided responsibility for the heavy situation in this strategic sector.
Numerous doubts are related to energy mafias and unimaginable schemes, such as the theft of millions of euros only through the power line, from a company called NOA, which was founded after the LVV came to power and was established in just four years among the 10 companies with the largest financial circulation in Kosovo.
Frequent KEK changes since 2019
From 2019 to now, a large number of executive chiefs have been changed to KEK, including some who have been task leaders. This is also the result of numerous doubts about corruptness. Initially, after the change of power, at the helm of the company was appointed as task leader and then as elected Luigj Imer; after him, Kabashi, Nagip Krasniqi, Bekir Grguri, as well as some other totally anonymous and weak professional background, chosen only because they were close to the ruling party.
While the current elected Ylber Batalli, at least unofficially, has no close party ties and has never been a member of any political party. Also, from the information received, it doesn't turn out to be involved in any corrupt relatives.
The Batalli is known as an energy sector professional and has also been engaged as an inventor and professional designer of several private projects by local companies for solar energy production.
