Marjeta Përlala, Director General of the National Environmental Agency, on January 27th appears to have signed an order delegating the task to Elona Uzmutlu. The reason for this move remains unclear, but it is likely related to the Prosecutor's Office's investigations into the hazardous waste scandal of the Turkish company KURUM.
A day earlier, on the show "The Unexposed", journalist Klodiana Lala warned about the progress of the Prosecutor's Office's investigations into the remains of Kurum, which were returned by ship to Albania.
Lala revealed the results that came from the laboratory in Italy, stating that the waste proved to be dangerous and that it is now up to the Prosecution to identify those responsible and verify the roles of officials.
"After a long delay, the Durrës Prosecutor's Office sent samples of the containers abroad, which are stored in Porto Romano. From the information I have, it turns out that the response from the laboratory in Italy has arrived and the waste has proven to be hazardous. It is up to the Durrës Prosecutor's Office to determine the responsible persons who allowed the export of the waste. It is not just about this quantity that is being blocked, but in the documents I have seen, which are public, I find tons of hazardous waste exported abroad.
It is not just about Kurum, but a number of other companies must also be looked at. The 102 containers in Porto Romano were exported by the company Sokolaj shpk owned by Xhovana Sokolaj, who has had different positions in the Prosecutor's Office. The network of other companies and the role of officials must be looked at. It is not just Kurum and other companies that are involved, I have strong suspicions that senior state officials are involved.
Have the codes been looked at carefully? For each waste there is a specific code and specific procedures for leaving the country. I see responsibility within the National Environmental Agency, Customs, the Tax Directorate; there are a number of institutions that have not functioned.
I don't think this happened by ordinary people, but by a structured group and their responsibility must be seen. They must be investigated by SPAK. The answer has come, it must be analyzed in relation to national and international legislation. It was exported to other countries. The Basel Network sounded the alarm, claiming that the waste was dangerous.
The Prosecution has been waiting for the response that has arrived. Now the Prosecution has no reason to delay and give an official response, to identify the persons who allowed the export. Who they are, depending on their positions, for the time when the event occurred, in the documents that I have seen I understood that Kurum exported much larger quantities than those in Porto Romano. The investigation should be extended for a longer period of time. The Durrës Prosecution does not have a concrete answer, but there is no obstacle to moving towards arrests. The Prosecution should say when it will do so, "said Lala.
