A criminal group at the head of the AKSHI, eight accused of manipulating tenders

The Special Prosecution Office accuses Ergys Agasi and Ermal Beqiraj of creating a structured criminal group to manipulate tenders of the National Agency for the Information Society, including through violence and hostage-taking. Agasi and Beqiraj escaped arrest, while the director and deputy director of the National Agency for the Information Society are under "house arrest".

A wide-ranging operation by the Special Prosecution Office, SPAK, and the National Bureau of Investigation, BKH, on Tuesday targeted a suspected criminal group accused of manipulating tenders for the National Information Society Agency, AKSHI, through hostage-taking or violence.

Based on the request of SPAK, the Special Court imposed security measures for eight people, including the director of AKSHI, Mirlinda Karçanaj, and deputy director Hava Delibashi, who were placed under "house arrest".

The Special Prosecution Office also charges Ergys Agas – a controversial figure accused of links to organized crime – and businessman Ermal Beqiraj with the criminal offenses of illegal competition through violence, illegal deprivation of liberty, violation of equality in tenders, structured criminal group, and laundering of the proceeds of crime.

Agasi and Beqiraj escaped the police operation and their prison sentences remain unexecuted.

"Within the framework of the activity of the "Structured Criminal Group", the suspected citizens have committed the criminal offense of "Illegal Competition through Violence" and have forced representatives of companies participating in tenders to abandon their complaints about certain tender procedures, thus paving the way for predetermined companies, for which the review of the complaint could also lead to a change in the ranking of the list of winners," the SPAK announcement states.

Also suspected of being involved in the scheme is Erion Ismaili, deputy director for crime investigation at the Tirana Police, against whom the court has imposed a “suspension from duty” and a “ban on leaving the country”. Also accused are Andis Papa, Gëzim Hoxha and Rogers Rryta, three businessmen against whom a security measure of “ban on leaving the country” has been imposed. All three are accused of participating in the fraud scheme by issuing fictitious invoices or fictitiously participating in competitions held.

The National Agency for the Information Society, AKSHI, is one of the most sensitive institutions in the country, as it manages almost the entire digital governance system through E-Albania, including the Artificial Intelligence Ministry, while performing the role of intermediary between citizens and various institutions in issuing hundreds of documents.

The agency has repeatedly come under criticism for its management style and secret tenders, justified on national security grounds, but the scheme investigated by SPAK reveals that this agency and the critical information it processes were made available to a criminal group, which uses, among other things, the hostage-taking of rivals to secure tenders and public money. While revealing a scheme of abuse of public money, SPAK's investigations also raise questions about the violation of national security.

The people involved in this scheme are not unknown. Ergys Agasi, widely known as a tobacco businessman and also controls shares in a local football team, has been accused by the opposition as a shadowy figure under the control of Prime Minister Rama. Former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj accused Agasi in a television interview of acting as a middleman between criminal groups and Rama. Agasi has previously denied the allegations.

Beqiraj is also a well-known figure, involved more than once in political intrigues in the country. He was one of the experts who “helped” in invalidating the evidence against former President Ilir Meta at the time when he appeared in a video, the content of which alluded to corrupt acts. Beqiraj also became a figure in what was claimed to be a deletion or copying of the tax system in 2015. According to data from Open Spending Albania, his companies have received 2.1 billion lek from the AKSHI.

Asked by BIRN about the SPAK operation, the prime minister did not respond by the time of publication of this article. /BIRN/