BIRN: Jorgo Goro was arrested for the land where Artan Gaçi will build as a strategic investor

The criminal report filed in the Special Prosecutor's Office, SPAK by the elected mayor of Himarë Municipality, Alfred Beleri, against his socialist rival, Jorgo Goro, who continued to hold office, revealed the collaboration of the latter with other persons for the passage through of falsified documents of significant areas of state land in favor of private entities - which in the end passed into the possession of the company of Artan Gaçi, the husband of the socialist deputy Olta Xhaçka, who has been declared a strategic investor by the government for the construction of a tourist complex in Himare, worth 5.5 million euros.  

Beleri claimed in his report that Goro had alienated in favor of private individuals a property that, after it was purchased, received the status of a strategic investor from Artan Gaçi, the former deputy of the Socialist Party and at the same time the husband of the former minister Olta Xhaçka.

While Goro and four other people have been detained for these affairs, SPAK did not answer BIRN's question until the publication of this article, whether Gaçi was also taken under investigation. Likewise, the strategic investor, Artan Gaçi, did not respond until the publication of this article to the questions for comment that BIRN directed to him regarding these circumstances informed by SPAK. 

The acting mayor of the Himarë Municipality, Jorgo Goro, who lost in the last local elections, was arrested on Saturday, March 23 for "Abuse of duty", accused by the Special Prosecutor's Office that in two different episodes, contrary to the law, he cooperated with other persons for the transfer of significant areas of state land in favor of private entities.

"This citizen (Jorgo Goro), in cooperation with the other citizen under investigation JB, without making any concrete verification according to legal obligations, have forwarded to the competent bodies completely forged documents, making it possible to register an area of ​​5512 m2 of agricultural land. owned by the state, in favor of the private entity. This area of ​​land located in Dhërmi, Vlorë, after being registered in the public registers thanks to the illegal actions of the responsible persons (other citizens under investigation BA and V.GJ.) has been alienated in favor of a private entity, stripping the state of its ownership on it", is quoted in the announcement that SPAK distributed on Saturday. 

According to the prosecution, this alienation was accompanied by unjust material gain for the other citizen under investigation SM SPAK explained that currently this area of ​​agricultural land is seized by court decision. 

In the next epsidoin Goro is accused that in the capacity of the Mayor of Himarë, in cooperation with the director of the Directorate of Protection and Land Management in this local unit, citizen JB, he has carried out with concrete actions the actual displacement on the ground of an area of ​​agricultural land of 5080 m2, superimposing it on another property owned by the state. 

former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka. Photo: LSA.
According to SPAK, Jorgo has exceeded all the powers that the law recognizes, stating the existence of an overlap of immovable assets on the ground and then confirming a placement plan, which turns out to have served not only for the subsequent transactions between the subjects different but also for the development of the property that has been granted a construction permit for a tourist complex in the name of a commercial company, which will be built on both surfaces in question in total of 10 thousand 592 m2, which are bordering. 

While the director of the Local Directorate of the State Cadastre Agency, Vlora at the time when these transactions were carried out, Bilbil Aliaj and the lawyer of this institution, V.Gj. are accused of having, with actions and omissions in violation of the law, accepted the legal documentation, processed the latter and issued a certificate from the mortgage documents, without performing any legal or on-site verification of those required by law, thus performing the registration initial of an immovable property owned by the state, of the agricultural land type, with an area of ​​5512 m2, in favor of the FM citizen and then his heirs. "This property, as it has resulted from the preliminary investigation up to this stage, originates from completely falsified documents", it is quoted in the announcement and it is clarified that the cadastre officials are accused of "abuse of duty". 

SPAK has proceeded for the falsification of documents, stamps, stamps or forms against the Secretary of State, who is accused of having used forged documents and forms more than once, near some institutions but also with the procedural bodies, actions which have subsequently brought also the initial registration in the name of the testator of the state land located in Dhërmi, with an area of ​​5512 m2. 

"After the registration of the property in the name of the heirs, including the citizens under investigation, it continued with the transactions that concluded in the registration of the property in the name of the private company represented by the citizen AG, bringing at the same time an unfair material benefit to the citizen under investigation SM", the announcement states. 

At the request of SPAK, the respective court has set the measure of personal security "Arrest in prison" against Jorgo Goro and the beneficiary of the land, citizen SM. For the other three officials, accused of abuse of duty, the measure of personal security "House arrest" has been set. 

Goro, who ran for a fourth term under the banner of the Socialist Party for the Municipality of Himara in May last year, continued to hold office even though his rival, Alfred Beleri, was declared the winner. The latter failed to take the oath as he was arrested two days before the elections for "active corruption in the elections", a criminal offense for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 2 years in prison on March 5. 

According to the data published in the National Business Center, KKB for the investment object "Dremades Luxury Suites", consisting of a five-star, high-level hotel, which will have a capacity of 106 suites, it is noted that the project occupies a area of ​​10 thousand 592 m2 - the same area as that noted in the SPAK notification for the land owned by the Gaçi company. 

In March 2022, the Council of Ministers announced a decision to grant use of a coastal area in Himare to the "Dreamades Luxury Suites" resort for a period of 30 years. According to this decision, the company 'AGTTC Hotel Management' is granted permission to use the sea shores and the corresponding area of ​​the beach in front of the complex, which is being built in the village of Gjileke, Himare municipality.

The announcement as a strategic investor by the Council of Ministers of the husband of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka at that time, raised concerns about a conflict of interest. 

Deputies of the Democratic Party requested in June 2022 the removal of the mandate of deputy Olta Xhaçka for illegal benefits through the strategic investor status given to her husband. this request came after the majority rejected the establishment of an investigative commission on strategic investments. 

Later, the Constitutional Court asked the Assembly to send Xhaçka's mandate to this court for review, but in June 2023, the socialist members in the Council of Legislation asked to return to zero point the discussion on this issue by proposing the re-examination by Council of Mandates./BIRN