A2 CNN journalist Armand Bajrami was invited to the Debate where he summarized recent developments, where BKH agents arrested the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, for passive corruption and money laundering.
According to journalist Bajrami, the SPAK investigation had been ongoing for more than 10 months and prosecutors had managed to prove that Veliaj, along with his family members and powerful people close to him, had created a scheme to embezzle state funds.
Bajrami adds that prosecutors suspect that Veliaj signed construction permits for various businessmen in this field and received "his share" through payments to NGOs.
"For the first time, Veliaj, mandated for the third time as mayor, left office as an arrested person. All this thanks to a court decision of the GJKKO that accepted the SPAK decision to assign a security measure of arrest in prison. According to SPAK, he is accused of the criminal offense of passive corruption of high-ranking officials and that of money laundering. The same decision has also assigned 7 other security measures, one of which is house arrest for his wife Ajola Xoxe, accused of 3 criminal offenses, two of which are the same as Veliaj, while the third is for concealing assets. A prison measure is for Elman Abule, while for 5 other businessmen there is an obligation to appear for active corruption.
According to SPAK, this comes after a 10-month investigation based on a complaint filed by Nesti Angoni, an identity for which Veliaj claims does not exist. Investigative actions have proven that the mayor, with his wife, had created a criminal scheme to embezzle state funds. Veliaj signed every disbursement of funds on behalf of third parties and is suspected of having signed disbursements for businessmen who returned part of the money to him. He has granted building permits to businessmen close to him and the payments have been returned through the NGO, "said Bajrami.
(A2 Televizion)
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