The arrest of Evis Berberi, Lala breaks down the scheme: How the closed circuit worked. Balluku is also being investigated

2024-03-14 22:36:07Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The arrest of Evis Berberi, Lala breaks down the scheme: How the closed circuit
Belinda Balluku and Evis Berberi

The General Director of ARRSH, Evis Berberi, was put in handcuffs on Wednesday evening by order of SPAK as he is accused of passive corruption and money laundering.

Valter Begaj, administrator of "NET-GROUP" company and partner of "DAAM" sh.pk, and Ervis Lami, administrator of "DAAM" company and employee of the company "NET-GROUP".

Journalist Klodiana Lala gave some details about this case. She said that the Special Operational Force group has been watching Berber throughout the last few days.

On Wednesday, he regularly went to his work office and the moment he left this office, near the premises of the apartment, he was arrested. Then, according to the procedure, he was checked.

"Earlier, a search was carried out at Berberi's house, where 4 million new ALL were seized, as well as some suspicious paintings that will be verified by the prosecutor's office and experts," said journalist Lala in a television interview.

What is the corrupt scheme he is accused of?

According to journalist Klodiana Lala, the investigation has its foundations in 2018, when Berberi was an employee of the "NET-GROUP" company that was founded by Valter Begaj. Then he left "NET-GROUP" and bought the company "DAAM" sh.pk from Begaj for the value of 1 million lek, or 800 euros at the rate of time.

"In 2019, Berberi was appointed advisor and the most trusted person at that time to the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Mrs. Belinda Balluku. "Because of the function, because the law did not allow it, he sold the company "DAAM" to a woman, Brunilda Buli, who is his confidante because this is what the SPAK investigation results from," said Lala.

This company is sold for 500 thousand euros. When Brunilda Buli took it over, she sold the company again in favor of Valter Begaj in the amount of 1.7 million euros. Then Valter Begaj sold it in favor of Ervis Lam. Lam then takes the company for the old 200 million lek and returns it a month later with zero lek, so he gives all the shares to Valter Begaj, according to journalist Lala.

"While all these changes are happening in the company, Evis Berberi is appointed by Mrs. Balluku, director of the Energy Efficiency Agency. In this position, Valter Begaj benefits with his company from three tendering procedures in the amount of 100 million ALL. There is even more. There are still other companies that are being verified," said Lala.

"There is every high official who has to declare the conflict of interest that I know the person and there is nothing wrong. The company may deserve to win the tender, but it is the other KVO members who appreciate it. In this particular case, Mr. Berberi did not declare it, but even the highest officials of the ministry did not ascertain it", reported Lala.

Lala also showed how this tight circle of people who had created several different companies worked. 

"At the moment Valter Begaj received this money, he made transactions in the company "DAAM" sh.pk claiming that this company could provide consultancy, while this company, according to the Special Prosecutor's Office, was indirectly controlled by Evis Berberi and this money took Evis Barber again. Being a senior official and not justifying the wealth further, he does not buy the assets in his own name, but decides to buy real estate in the name of the company "DAAM sh.pk" It is clear so far. Mrs. Balluku disconnects from the Efficiency Agency, spends some time as a coordinator for the construction of the memorial hospital in Fier and in 2021 is catapulted into the administration and goes to the head of ARRSH, in this new position that she had in her portfolio to manage millions of euros. What are you doing? Who are the winning companies in the tenders? In three tendering procedures it turns out that it is also his former partner Valter Begaj who receives a significant amount. So the whole circle that is made are the same people who have created some companies" , she said.

As for the accusations of money laundering, Lala said that it results from the fact of the fictitious sale of the company "DAAM" sh.pk, the value of which started at 800 euros and went to 1.7 million euros.

"The company that wins Valter Begaj's tenders indirectly passes it on to Evis Berber again. So this is the closed loop that has become and what is it? Corruption and money laundering", she said.

During the inspection in his apartment, many tender procedures were taken as it turned out that they have "red flags", i.e. problems in the way they were selected. According to Lala, the prosecution is also investigating other higher officials.

"One of the highest MIE officials who managed millions of euros is today behind bars as an arrested person. He was arrested in the line of duty. Do you and the public think that a person in this position has committed all these alleged corrupt acts alone? He cannot do it because there are members of the KVO that are claimed, there is a deputy minister, there is a minister and others in a row. Which means that the prosecution did not stop only at this case. It has started and is investigating the role of higher officials, including the role of Minister Balluku", she said.

Asked by Blendi Fevziu if there is an investigation into Minister Balluku, Lala replied that "there is an investigation into the role, not the registered name of Mrs. Balluku as a person under investigation".

"No, so I'm clarifying. There is an investigation into the role of the minister, whether she should have ascertained the conflict of interest first and whether she should have ascertained all these problems because she administers and depends on this institution" , she said.


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