Belinda Balluku chose to entrust her legal defense before the courts to her sister Pamela Qirko, former chairwoman of the Independent Qualification Commission (IKC), otherwise known as the first level of the vetting process for judges and prosecutors.
This move is seen as strategic, as, in addition to Qirko's professional preparation, Balluku also ensures that the dossier documents are not leaked to the public.
Pamela Qirko appeared at the SPAK premises at around 2:40 PM and waited at the entrance of the anti-corruption structure until her sister, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku, arrived. The two of them stood together for around 40 minutes in front of the special prosecutors, where they were introduced to the indictment.
Balluku is accused of violating equality in tenders, an issue related to the tender for the construction of the Llogara tunnel. Initially, in 2020, the tender was won by the company "Gjoka Konstruksion", but it was canceled and held again in 2021, where two Turkish companies united in a consortium were declared the winners.
It is suspected that the tender value has increased by over 50 million euros compared to the initial project.
In this confrontation with justice, Balluku will be defended by her sister. According to data from the National Business Center (NBC), Pamela Qirko was registered as a natural person only yesterday — a legally necessary step to practice law and represent her sister before the SPAK.
Ironically, Qirko will face some of the same people she once had to evaluate herself when she was a member of the KPK. Among them is special prosecutor Dritan Prenci, who has filed charges against Balluk — and who was once confirmed in office by the same body that Pamela Qirko herself was a member of.
