The emergency procedure opened by the Albanian Road Authority for the management of the landslide situation in the Librazhd area has ended with the announcement of the winner of the same company that was carrying out the works on the axis where the collapses occurred. This is the company “ANK”, owned by Agim Kola, which is currently engaged in the construction of the new road, works related to the blockage of the area for several days due to landslides. Paradoxically, the same company has obtained a new contract within the framework of the emergency intervention to repair the created situation.
According to official documents, the procedure was conducted through negotiation without prior announcement, which means that the new leaders of the ARRSH, headed by Ami Kozeli, have negotiated directly with economic operators for the implementation of the intervention. The contract has as its object the taking of preventive measures in the area known as the “Bicycle League” in Dragostunjë, with a limit fund of 93.7 million lek excluding VAT and an implementation period of about two and a half months. It turns out that two companies participated in the competition: “ANK” with a bid of about 88.4 million lek and “2 T” with a bid close to the limit fund. The small difference between the bids has raised questions about the real competition in this procedure, while doubts are increased by the fact that both companies have been previously mentioned in connection with similar infrastructure problems.
Meanwhile, the situation has also sparked discussions about institutional responsibilities, as landslides on this axis left thousands of residents isolated for several days, forcing them to take much longer alternative routes to reach Tirana or other cities.
The focus of the debate is also the fact of whether there is an investigation by the Elbasan Prosecutor's Office into this issue, as well as whether the companies involved, including "ANK", should be held responsible for the damages caused. We recall that at the end of 2023, the ARRSH, then under the leadership of Evis Berberi, announced "ANK" as the winner of a large tender for the construction of a road segment in this area, worth around 2.5 billion lek. The contract for this project was signed in 2024 and provides for an implementation period of 24 months. The company in question, which has also implemented other infrastructure projects such as the Korça–Ersekë segment, has previously faced similar landslide situations, which has increased concerns about the quality of the works and institutional oversight in public projects.
