They approved and rejected environmental permits/ The Fier Prosecutor's Office sends the Director and specialists of the Regional Environmental Agency to court!

2025-12-28 11:36:49Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

They approved and rejected environmental permits/ The Fier Prosecutor's

The Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Fier has completed the investigations and sent the employees of the Regional Environmental Agency of Fier, Vlora and Gjirokaster to trial.

This is because they have approved and rejected environmental permits in violation of the law, without conducting on-site verifications and without respecting legal and sub-legal criteria.

They have not regularly fulfilled their functional duties, despite the recommendations of the Supreme State Audit Office and internal audits conducted by the Ministry of Environment. 

A significant number of entities with environmental permits have not submitted mandatory self-monitoring reports, while DRM-Fier has not requested the suspension or revocation of permits, as required by law. They are facing charges for the criminal offense of 'Abuse of Office' committed in collaboration. 

Prosecutor's Office Announcement:

The Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Fier completed the investigations and sent the employees of the Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër Regional Environmental Agency to trial for the criminal offense of 'Abuse of duty' committed in collaboration, as provided for in article 248-25 of the Criminal Code.

At the conclusion of the investigations of criminal proceedings no. 1051, it was proven that the director and specialists of the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër, acting and failing to act in violation of the law, not regularly fulfilling functional duties, despite the recommendations of the Supreme State Audit, internal audits conducted by the Ministry of Environment:

They have approved and rejected type "C" environmental permits in violation of the law, without conducting on-site verifications and without respecting legal and sub-legal criteria; some type "C" environmental permits were approved in the absence of mandatory documentation required by law and sub-legal acts; and different decision-making standards have been found, favoring some entities and penalizing others without legal basis.

A significant number of entities equipped with environmental permits have not submitted mandatory self-monitoring reports, while DRM-Fier has not requested the suspension or revocation of permits, as required by law.

The collection of annual environmental permit fees was not followed, causing economic damage to the state budget in the amount of over 3 (three) million lek for the years 2017–2019. It turned out that for 2017, 424 entities did not pay this fee in the amount of 848,000 lek, for 2018, 421 entities did not pay the fee in the amount of 842,000 lek, and for 2019, 702 entities did not pay the fee in the amount of 1,404,000 lek, thus not realizing revenues in the total amount of 3,094,000 lek.

In conclusion, the prosecution filed charges and sent the defendants for trial: AV, former Director of the Fier Regional Environment Directorate;

BF, specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër Regional Environmental Agency;

EB specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;

EZ specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;

EB specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;

 VG, monitoring specialist at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër; and

 PT, finance specialist at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokaster;

In the following, the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Fier expresses its full commitment and the legal responsibility of all state employees or public servants who commit criminal offenses against state activity.


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