The Tirana Prosecution announced on Thursday, October 30, the imposition of personal security measures against three people suspected of carrying out fictitious sales in favor of the company "5D Konstruksion", which was involved in a large-scale corruption scheme, according to a parallel investigation by SPAK.
The Tirana Court has imposed the security measure of "prison arrest" on the suspect Ilir Allmeta, former administrator of the commercial entity Allmeta 02, while Ermir Gjoklaj and Mirash Lula will be investigated under the measure of "compulsion to appear".
According to the prosecution, they are suspected of involvement in creating fraudulent schemes related to Value Added Tax, VAT; concealing income, as well as forging seals, stamps and forms.
According to the Tirana Prosecution Office, the companies Allmeta 02, TT and Valbona Alb are suspected of having made fictitious sales worth 370 million lek in favor of the company "5D Konstruksion", generating VAT and Profit Tax worth 108 million lek.
It is also reported that the company "5D Konstruksion", which was controlled according to SPAK by former directors of the Municipality of Tirana, Redi Molla and Mariglen Qato, is suspected of having fictitiously increased expenses for public works tendered by the Municipality of Tirana, by administering and declaring fictitious invoices issued by the persons under investigation, worth around 370 million lek.
According to the prosecution, these actions were carried out through false declarations and the use of fictitious invoices, with the aim of creating a fraudulent fiscal scheme, which aimed to unfairly benefit from VAT crediting and reduce the taxable base for Profit Tax, damaging the financial interests of the state.
The investigation revealed that the full value of 370.2 million lek created through suspected fictitious sales was included by the entity “5D Konstruksion” sh.pk in the work situations declared in public tenders, with the aim of artificially increasing the volume and costs of the work performed. This value was reflected as a justified expense in the documentation for the implementation of public contracts, enabling the beneficiary entity to collect from public funds the full value of this fictitious transaction, to the detriment of the state budget.
The prosecution underlines that the fictitious actions that were carried out have not only created unfair tax advantages, but have also enabled the unjustified appropriation of public funds, through the false presentation of expenses in the financial reports of tenders.
Based on these findings, investigators assess that the coordinated actions of these entities constitute the constituent elements of the criminal offense of "Creating fraudulent schemes related to Value Added Tax", in collaboration. The announcement explains that investigations are ongoing to identify other persons involved, as well as to fully document the fraudulent scheme and its financial consequences. /BIRN/
