Vetting show

Tax Director, Lala, presented the company with a construction license
The story of companies hidden in the names of third parties is one of the most repeated refrains in corruption and money laundering cases. The moment a high-ranking official has secured income from affairs in the administration, the problem is no longer the act of corruption, but the fact of how to manually enter the secured money into the banking system as legal money. One of the ways is to establish private companies, which after being established are fictitiously transferred to third parties, who are usually relatives or friends outside the media radar.

One of the cases that raises suspicions of fictitious transfer of shares is related to Tirana Tax Director Erilinda Lala. In this case, after having founded the company in 2023 and obtained a license for implementation in construction works, Director Lala, with the approval of her husband Taulant Godroli, on December 16, 2024, would donate her shares to her partner Marsida Dedej, shares worth 100 thousand lek or 1 thousand euros. In fact, when Director Lala left her job declaring assets, she did not declare that she was a shareholder in the company, but even when she was appointed head of Tirana Tax, Erilinda Lala hid the donation of shares in this company, raising suspicions of fictitious transfer of these shares to Marsida Dedej with the company "2D Construction 2025".

According to lawyer Kola, in the case of a donation of shares, an official who makes an asset declaration is obliged to present the movement of shares in the asset declaration.

"It is very important who you donate to because most donations, we know, are made fictitiously, to hide wealth," said lawyer Kola.

Reading the terms of the donation, you understand that Erilinda Lala and her husband Taulant Godroli have donated company shares worth 100 thousand lek or 1 thousand euros and a construction license. On February 29, 2024, the company “2D Construction 2025“, formerly “Gea Construction”, obtained a professional construction works license. This is a category of licenses that allows a business to carry out construction projects such as resorts, towers or even complexes.

From the "Vetting" verifications it results that the entity has appointed the technical director Armand Arkanxhiu in 2025, while it received the license in 2024. There are questions about how this company has received the license while it has not declared to the National Business Center who the technical director was in advance. The latter is very important because without a certified technical director, the company cannot obtain or maintain the professional license to exercise the activity, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy. Even the suspicions about the lack of engineers and employees that are a condition come from the financial balances of the company itself.

According to lawyer Kola Margarita Kola, in the case of non-declaration of shares, the HIDAKKI intervenes, which is specifically responsible for dealing with conflicts of interest and declaring assets.

"Definitely, failure to declare is a legal violation and there is no room for discussion," said lawyer Kola.

Lala's husband, the shadow "shareholder" of the company "2D Construction 2025"

In September 2024, Erilinda Lala would become an advisor to the Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj and, according to the law, would have to make an initial asset declaration to illustrate her assets.

In November 2024, Lala would leave this position to join the cabinet of the Director of Taxes. However, after leaving this function, the Director of Taxes would donate the shares of the company "2D Construction 2025" former Gea Construction Marsida Dedej, where her husband would also sign to approve the donation. In the second form for declaring assets after leaving office, Lala would not declare that she was a shareholder in this company, since legally in November 2024 she was a shareholder and the law on declaring assets requires that you always declare shares.

In addition, on May 29, 2025, Lala would become director of taxes without having the status of a civil servant, as a seconded director.

The concealment of the shares, but also of the donation, which Lala had the opportunity to fix in May 2025 after taking office in taxes, settling for a fine, raises suspicions.

Why would the Tax Director hide ownership of this company?

According to lawyer Kola, there must have been a very big conflict of interest, for which the declaration was not made.

"I think the failure to declare is intentional," the lawyer said about the case in question.

From the documents obtained by "Vetting" it results that the company "2D Construction 2025" has received a building permit from the National Territorial Council (NTC) with decision no. 16, dated 23.07.2025 for the facility in Qerret for a complex with residential, service and hotel buildings with 3, 8, 10, 12 and 15 floors above ground and 2 floors of underground parking.

So, we have a touristic or almost strategic project in an area where there is no such tall building, where according to the General Local Plan of the Municipality of Kavaja, construction of up to 6 floors is allowed.

But what is the connection between the Tax Director and her former partner Marsida Dedej?

One day after Marsida Dedej donated her shares, on December 17, 2024, Erilinda Lala's husband, Taulant Godroli, would make the payment for a fine of this company, which was dated December 16, 2024. In this case, as of December 16, Erilinda Lala was no longer a shareholder and according to the terms of the donation of the shares, she or her husband had no legal obligation for the payments.

Furthermore, how can you go and pay the fine of a private company, with which you have no legal relationship, and this fine is related to the National Business Center?

So, we have strong indications that the sale may simply be fictitious to avoid attention from the Prosecution, but also media agencies in the field of investigation. Specifically, Marsida Dedej is the wife of Drimon Dedej, a financial balance sheet compiler for the company "ECO-CLEANING" shpk, where Godroli was and is an administrator.

Moreover, even after the shares were sold, the company's address did not change immediately, but remained in the Usluga complex, on the same floor as the other businesses where Godroli works.

The suspicions are reinforced because a few months after donating the shares, Dedej would change the name of the company, losing track of it, which would also begin the procedures to obtain a construction permit from the National Territorial Council.

According to lawyer Margarita Kola, in this case it is the duty of the HIDACPKI to send the case to the prosecutor's office, the tax investigation directorate or the economic crime department. "It is the duty of the HIDACPKI to refer it. For me, the HIDACP is in violation of the law," stated lawyer Kola.