The investigative show Vetting, News24
In the SPAK file for the Llogara tunnel, the name of a character who remains in the shadows is mentioned.
There is even a conversation between Berber and Balluk, where it is openly stated that one of the tender conditions was changed because this businessman's company could not qualify, thus changing the tender conditions in violation of the law.
PART OF THE SPAK FILE, MESSAGE CONVERSATION ON BERBER'S BLACKBERRY CELL PHONE
BELINDA BALLUKU: One question
EVIS BARBER: Yes
BELINDA BALLUKU: We have changed the experience of similar facilities at the tunnel from 5 years to 3???
EVIS BERBERI: Pellumbi asked to be 3 out of the last 5 years
BELINDA BALLUKU: So what? Who made the KPP request?
EVIS BERBERI: What request was made to the KPP at the meeting we had on
December 31st with Arte and Pellumbi he asked to be 3 out of the last 5 years.
According to Vkm, experience must be required for the last three years. While he didn't have it and I left 3 out of the last 5 years. But Arta told me that she had discussed it
"Before meeting Pellumbi, this thing with you."
By verifying the names of the companies that participated in both the first canceled tender and the re-announced tender, only one “Pëllumb” comes to light, and this is one of the administrators and at the same time the main shareholder of the “Alb-Building” company, Pëllumb Beta. There is no evidence that this is the same person, but there are indications that this is the only entity with this name that was part of the competition in the Llogara tunnel tender.
A week after the announcement of the tender winner, suspicions of corruption with this tender would move to the parliament hall, where Democratic Party MP, Bujar Leskaj, would exchange remarks with the Minister of Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku.
"The Ministry of Infrastructure, the ministry of mismanagement, in the competition for the Llogora tunnel chose the bid with the highest value, 170 million euros out of 158, which was the second. The Shkodra MP, Helidon Bushati, rightly denounced this fact, denouncing the ministry and warning it on behalf of the DP about filing a criminal complaint for 12 million euros, which is the difference between the bid declared the winner and the one with the lowest value," MP Bujar Leskaj would declare at that time from the hall of the Albanian Parliament.
Minister Balluku did not spare her retorts to the former head of the Supreme State Audit, Leskaj, stating that the evaluation in these tenders was done based on points. But the entire explanation was made without providing any other information about the canceled tender and the participating companies.
Research into the documents reveals a small detail that casts legal doubt on the competition for the construction of the Llogara Tunnel. This is due to the fact that, in the technical specifications, on page 24, it is stated that the foreign company must make the equivalence of professional licenses issued by the country of origin, for the categories of works, at the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Even if these documents are not submitted, the company will be disqualified.
But has this criterion been met?
From the opening of the competition for the Llogara Tunnel tender until the last day, when the documents are submitted, the Turkish companies had a maximum time of 35 days.
In the e-Albania government portal, it is illustrated how the registration can be performed and the request for the equivalence of these licenses can be submitted electronically.
The calculation of professional licenses takes more time, where according to e-Albania, at least 38 days are needed for the realization of this service.
Here we are dealing with suspicions of favoritism, since even if the Turkish companies had applied on the first day of the tender announcement, they would still not have managed to achieve the equivalence of licenses within the deadlines. Meanwhile, the branch in Albania of the selected company was opened a month after they won the tender from the Ministry of Infrastructure.
In this case the question arises: How have Turkish companies managed to qualify when equivalence takes longer than the document deadline?
The Ministry of Infrastructure, in the stage of patching the documents, has softened the criteria for similar projects, which included the construction of 4 bridges with a length of 120 m, setting as criteria only "similar work for the construction of only one such bridge".
However, the file reveals what "Vetting" had long anticipated, the competition had indications of a predetermined winner and SPAK has confirmed with evidence that the Turkish companies did not meet these criteria.
According to the Special Prosecutor's Office, the consortium of companies "Intekar Yapi Turizm Elektrik Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi And Asl Insaat Taahhmut Ve Sanayi Ticaret Limited Sirketi" was declared the winner in violation of the law by Belinda Balluku and members of the Bid Evaluation Commission Evis Berberi, Gentian Gjyli, Erald Elezi, Jetmira Dervishi and Mirzeta Kashnica. But the tender documents also have other changes, which are related to the subcontractor company. In the canceled tender, the percentage of works that could be carried out by the subcontractor was not specified, while in the re-announced tender, subcontracting is allowed up to 50% of the contract value.
One month after winning the tender, in November 2021, the Turkish consortium of companies established their branch "INTEKAR - ASL" in Albania. The company "INTEKAR YAPI TURIZM ELEKTRIK INSAAT" owns 30% of the shares with representative Serkan Çam and the other company "ASL INSAAT TAAHHUT" owns 70% of "INTEKAR ASL" with representative Abdulkadir Kart.
In fact, from the investigative file it is understood that the Turkish consortium did not meet certain conditions and the tender should have been canceled again.
