SPAK requested 5 years in prison, Bllako wants innocence: The prosecution has failed to prove any legal violation

The former Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, Alqi Bllako, pleaded not guilty in the Special Court.

A week after SPAK requested his 5-year prison sentence for "corruption" in two cases, Bllako said he had not committed the criminal offense.

"I declare myself completely innocent as none of the legal criteria regarding the criminal offense of passive corruption, committed in two cases, are met. The proceeding body has failed to prove any legal violation on my part in relation to my functional duty. The Secretary General had no role in this procedure, and I did not even participate as an observer in the meeting of the commission for granting the concession. Secondly, only the members of the KVO were asked to complete conflict of interest declarations, while I as the Secretary General had no duty. The proceeding body claims that I intervened with Zoto to hire Vladimir Bezhani. The latter was hired in November 2014. While the idea for building the Tirana plant started in December 2015. The procedure started in 2016 and the contract was signed in August 2017. Mr. Bezhani is not part of my social circle, nor family, I have not known Mr. Bezhani for a long time, but in 2017 when I started working as Secretary General at the Ministry of Environment", said Bllako. (A2 Televizion)