The Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has seized a villa in the luxury Green Coast complex in Palasë, which is suspected of being beneficially owned by Belinda Balluku.
SPAK suspects that the 478-square-metre villa was obtained as a result of corruption involving Ms. Balluku and road tenders during the period when she headed the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy. The property was allegedly registered under another person’s name in order to conceal its true ownership.
According to SPAK, the scheme was straightforward: the minister would ensure that a construction company won a tender, while the construction company would undertake to build the villa, which would then be registered in another person’s name to conceal the actual ownership.
In this context, Belinda Balluku is accused by SPAK of favouring the consortium of companies “Alko-Impex General Construction” and “2T” sh.p.k. in a tender for the construction of a section of Tirana’s Great Ring Road, worth more than ALL 2.3 billion, or around €23 million.
According to SPAK’s conclusions, in exchange for this favouritism, Ms. Balluku requested and subsequently received an improper benefit from Arbër Abazi, owner of “Alko-Impex General Construction”, in the form of the cost of works or investment in the villa built at Green Coast in Palasë.
In its official statement, the Special Prosecutor’s Office says that, according to the cost estimate for the works undertaken by Mr. Arbër Abazi, the value of the investment ranged from €288,000 to more than €410,000.
To conceal the villa allegedly obtained through corruption, SPAK says that Ms. Balluku again used Igli Tare. Although Tare was already under investigation by prosecutors in another case, SPAK states that in September last year Ms. Balluku arranged for the property to be registered in Mr. Tare’s name through documentation and a fictitious sales contract.
This is the second time SPAK has seized a property suspected of being hidden assets belonging to Ms. Balluku. Several months ago, prosecutors seized a villa in the White Rock complex in Dhërmi, which, according to SPAK, Ms. Balluku had concealed by registering it in Igli Tare’s name as well.
As a result, prosecutors have expanded the charges against Ms. Balluku. She had previously been accused of violating equal treatment in public tenders—including the Llogara Tunnel and several other roads—as well as corruption and money laundering. The prosecutors have now added charges of concealment and false declaration of assets.
Arbër Abazi, the owner of “Alko-Impex General Construction”, has also been placed under investigation for corruption of high-ranking public officials, while Igli Tare is under investigation for money laundering.
Despite the new allegations, SPAK has not so far submitted a new request to lift Ms. Balluku’s parliamentary immunity. The prosecution’s request last year to strip her of immunity was rejected by the Socialist majority in Parliament.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime has ordered the seizure of the property and brought new charges against former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku.
SPAK has also obtained a court decision to seize a villa in a luxury tourist complex, which is suspected of having been owned by her but registered in the name of another person: former Albania national team footballer and former sporting director of Lazio and AC Milan, Igli Tare.
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