In her reaction to the VNA editorial team, the former Ombudsman writes:
In an article published in your media with "sources" from the Ombudsman, some data were provided that clearly distort the truth.
First, the arrival of the SAI in the institution is not a concern since the SAI has continuously inspected the institution and the last inspection included the period 1.1.2022 to 31.12.2024. This report is on the official website of the SAI. For all the findings, the institution has also made a plan of measures to implement the recommendations of the SAI.
Secondly, the representative of the Contracting Authority in the Institution is the Secretary General and not the Ombudsman. For every competitive procedure based on the law, there is decision-making and responsibility of the responsible structures. According to the Ombudsman's report for 2025 published on the official website of the Assembly, (for the first time in 25 years deposited in the Assembly on 11.5.2026, 2 weeks beyond the maximum legal deadline provided by law), the total value of all tender procedures in the institution for goods and services is 24,100,000 lek, of which 20,102,413 lek were spent, and the value of investments is 4,000,000 lek, of which 638,702 lek were spent. I make this clarification to put into context the desire to be a contributor to the investigations of SPAK of Endrit Shabani. I take this opportunity to clarify that the procurement plan is approved in advance by the institution, both for the values according to the approved budgets, and for the time when the procedure will be carried out. A copy of this planning can be found at the Institution. So, clearly, the procedure is not related to the moment of the departure of the AVP as claimed in the article with sources from the People's Advocate, but to the end of the 2025 financial year. Meanwhile, anyone with minimal administrative experience is aware that tender procedures must be carried out and closed within the calendar year, otherwise the funds are burned. So, the competitive procedure for the purchase of electronic equipment in a total value of about 2,600,000 lek was put into the system in mid-October 2025 in accordance with the planning made. This procedure, after a complaint made by one of the competitors, was suspended by the Public Procurement Commission on November 21, 2025. The contract was not concluded, the goods were not delivered and the funds were not spent. The former People's Advocate had no and does not have any involvement in this procedure of any kind and nature.
Thirdly, the Ombudsman, during the exercise of her duties, has continuously requested the decommissioning and development of procedures to sell as scrap several vehicles that have not been in working condition since 2017. For this, if you are interested in the institution and if it will accept to be an open institution, you can also have the documents. Regarding the claim of abuse for the use of fuel for these vehicles, the investigation should be carried out and evidence should be established whether or not there is any misuse of fuel or its use for the purpose of the documented activity of the institution. In any case, for the entire year 2025 for the purposes of realizing the mission of the Ombudsman, but alleged as it is understood from the article as "abuse" according to the sources in question, a total of 666 liters of fuel were used or not more than 135,000 new lek. Of course, every misuse and every abuse must be denounced and addressed, but the figures are reported to deflate the claim of intimidation that someone may have from these facade tales of a source from the Ombudsman.
Regarding the fact that the Secretary General is a close person of mine, I confirm that he was in this position before I came to office, and that, both he and the Director of the Cabinet were collaborators of Mr. Totozani and then mine, due to the experience they had in that position. Neither the institution nor the civil servants are the personal property of any head and for this no resources are needed; a minimal administrative experience and respect for the law are sufficient. The illusion of constant imaginary “wars” may also be an effect of the pressure of accountability in the public, but facts are always the only source that distinguishes objective reality from subjective mental constructs.
