Rama announces 'AKSHI 2', DP: The 'ADS' mega-scandal is based on 4 pillars of corruption, we demand an investigation by the judiciary

The Democratic Party has accused the government of creating the Albanian Digital Solution (ADS) Agency, describing it as a parallel structure that, according to it, aims to use public funds and increase the administration with political appointments.

In a statement from the blue headquarters, the spokesperson for the Anti-Corruption Department in the Democratic Party, Genta Vangjeli, listed the four pillars on which, according to her, what she calls the "government mega-scandal" is based.

"The Rama government's decision to create the 'Albanian Digital Solution' (ADS) is the next act of a pure corrupt scheme to seize public money, inflate the administration with militants and set up a new den for rampant theft. Under the pretext of 'digital transformation', Rilindja is creating a parallel super-agency with an initial capital of 700 million lek from the pockets of Albanian citizens.

"This is not a technological reform, but an open government mega-scandal based on four pillars: the new lair of patronage and militants, extortion without a ceiling of salaries for government clients, duplication and intentional inflating of AKSHI 2, and monopoly and fines against institutions and private individuals," Vangjeli declared.

According to her, ADS is being set up as a structure to accommodate party militants, stating that this company "will be used to pay the luxury salaries of the Renaissance courtiers, hiding behind the status of a 'private business' that is fed by the state budget."

Meanwhile, Vangjeli added that the government is duplicating strategic functions such as systems maintenance and cybersecurity, "the goal seems to be to maintain parallel technical staffs, transferring public funds from one pocket to another and inflating expenses at the expense of taxpayers."

Vangjeli has asked Prime Minister Edi Rama several questions regarding how this structure will function, while demanding the cancellation of ADS and an investigation by the justice system.

"Why is a parallel AKSHI being created? If AKSHI has functioned successfully as you claim in your propaganda, why are you being forced to create another parallel structure with 345 employees that duplicates almost 100% of its functions?"

Why are you hiding behind a 'private' status to avoid the salary cap? Why was the formula of a joint stock company operating as a private business chosen to perform public services, giving you the opportunity to pay luxury salaries to people in your political court with taxpayers' money?

What is the fate of the first 700 million lek from the State Budget? Based on what financial analysis was the initial capital of 700 million lek from the state budget allocated to this company? How can this extraordinary amount be given to a new entity, while public education, healthcare and the needy suffer from a lack of basic funds?

"Since ADS has the right to set its own prices for services for state institutions, how will the scheme where public institutions' money is transferred without control to this company through artificially inflated invoices be prevented?" said Vangjeli.