Today, SPAK arrested former minister Ilir Beqaj on charges of ‘abuse of duty.’ He is accused of profiting from EU funds through fake invoices and tenders with inflated prices, with winners preselected before the tenders were officially announced.
Journalist Anila Hoxha, speaking on Top Channel, discussed the potential prison time Ilir Beqaj could face.
“Beqaj, along with others, will appear for condition verification within two days. SPAK’s investigation is supported by receipts and wiretaps. Although it’s early in the process, if these criminal offenses are confirmed, Ilir Beqaj could face up to four years in prison,” revealed Hoxha.
Hoxha also highlighted the exorbitant costs of invoices from the Gzona restaurant, ranging from 15,000 to 125,000 euros, and mentioned a vehicle the former minister claimed did not belong to him.
“SPAK considers a vehicle, registered under a trustee’s name, as evidence of concealed wealth. This vehicle was fined by a policeman while Beqaj appeared in SPAK, which SPAK views as proof that the vehicle was indeed owned by Beqaj, despite his denial. Furthermore, SPAK discovered that Beqaj is the sole partner of Gzona, a business involved in several costly invoices. One invoice was for services amounting to 4 million euros. The partnership and the large sums involved suggest potential corruption that could worsen his situation. For instance, there is a 20,000-euro consultancy bill, a 15,000-euro invoice, and another for 125,000 euros for organizing a conference,” Hoxha reported.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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