The Special Court has suspended for one year the investigation of Arben Ahmatej for the “Buka” file. The reason is said to be the failure to find Ahmetaj.
For this reason, the adjournment is made to give time to the authorities to find him and learn about the charges.
The court has concluded that the former deputy prime minister, the defendant, has not officially learned about this process against him. On the other hand, the power of attorney presented in the trial by his lawyer Henrik Ligori was premature and did not provide the necessary fees for this trial. Referring to the fact that the defendant Ahmetaj is absent, the court decided to suspend the case.
The investigative file “Buka” with the accusation of abuse of office against Arben Ahmetaj is based on his decision in 2014 as Minister of Economy and Entrepreneurship Development for the auction procedures for the sale of all state shares in this company.
SPAK says in the file that the decision to open the auction was taken in disregard of a 2006 decision of the Court of Appeal, which recognized the Myderizi family as the owner of a plot of land of 7680 square meters located on ‘5 Maji’ street in Tirana .
Inside this plot of land, which the court recognized for the Myderizi family, was the former Bread Factory with an area of 6370 square meters.
The court decision prohibits the alienation of this property without the approval of the Myderizi family. But Arben Ahmetaj ignored this part and announced the auction.
At that time, businessman Lirim Fezollari owned about 40 percent of the shares and was the potential candidate for the purchase of state shares.
The auction procedure was opposed in court by the heirs of the Myderizi family. In 2017, the Administrative Court of Appeal granted the right to the heirs. But, in the meantime, the Ministry of Economy, under the direction of Ahmetaj, had completed the auction, passing the state shares to Fezollari, who at the end of the financial operation owned over 86 percent of the quotas.
In a short time after taking ownership of the quotas and, consequently, control over the assets of “Buka” sha”, Lirim Fezollari sold the land to another company, “Tobacco Holding”, owned by him. At the request of the heirs, the bailiff’s seizure order was issued, with the aim of not alienating the properties.
But the lands had been alienated earlier and no state institution was interested in establishing illegality in the country. In the conditions of institutional inactivity, the businessman Fezollari, through “Tobacco Holding”, erected the building that today is known as the “Emerald Mall” shopping center, erected on the former plot of “Buka” sha., on 5 Maji street.
