Ilir Shtufi, one of the builders of the dozens-story tower known as "Tirana Mountain" in the heart of the capital and known for strong clientelistic ties with Shkëlzen Berisha, son of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, turns out to have been favored by the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, to win road tenders.
The SPAK file also reveals Belinda Balluku's communications with the former head of the Albanian Road Authority, Evis Berberi, who has been in prison for a year and a half for corruption, money laundering and other charges. Balluku asks Berberi to contact Ilir Shtufi.
"From the expert report no. 195, dated 26.09.2024, of the 'Blackberry' mobile phone, model 'BBF100-6', seized from citizen Evis Berberi, from the extraction of the technical computer data contained in this mobile phone, communications between citizens Belinda Balluku, Evis Berberi and Ilir Shtufi have resulted, as follows:
On 10.09.2021, at 10:46, citizen Belinda Balluku sends citizen Evis Berberi the message: 'Come to me at 11'.
At 10:46, Evis Berberi replies: 'I came'.
At 13:00–13:01, Belinda Balluku: 'Everything is ok Lenci with Pellumb. Wait a bit Ilir Shtufi and Nova and make it clear that you are going with YOU. And don't see him anywhere else. You have business with Gim, say, not with me'.
At 13:01, Evis Berberi: 'Ok'.
Immediately after this communication, on 10.09.2021, citizen Evis Berberi communicates with citizen Ilir Shtufi. At 13:54–13:55, Ilir Shtufi sends him messages: 'How are you... I'm Ilir Shtufi Nova. I'll see you later, they told me when you can'.
At 14:07, Evis Berberi: 'Come on, come on'.
At 14:07, Ilir Shtufi: 'Ok, 10 min'.
Immediately after this communication, Evis Berberi writes at 15:09 to citizen Belinda Balluku: 'I met him ok', referring to her instruction for 'Ilir Shtufi of Nova and who goes with EUT' (the company Euroteorema).
The investigation results in the company "Nova Construction 2012" sh.pk (owned by Ilir Shtufin), on 14.09.2021 - just 4 days after these communications - entered into a cooperation contract with the companies "Euroteorema Peqin" sh.pk and "PE-VLA-KU" sh.pk, to participate in the procurement procedure REF-02817-08-13-2021, with the object "Construction of the Tirana Outer Ring Road, Lot 4", where they were declared the winners.
"It is evident that before the bid submission phase was closed (the deadline was 15.09.2021), that is, before the participating companies were identified, citizens Belinda Balluku and Evis Berberi were aware of the predetermined winner of the procurement procedure, as they had been given the criteria previously," the file states.
Meanwhile, the status of businessman Ilir Shtufi in this file is still unknown, while officially he is under investigation by SPAK for financing the tower known as "Tirana Mountain". For this and his involvement in Lot 4 of the Tirana Ring Road, the opposition - which does not miss an opportunity to demand the resignation of Balluk and Rama for the Llogara tunnel file - is silent. Only a small segment of the media has published Ilir Shtufi's financial ties with Shkëlzen Berisha, including investments in "Tirana Mountain".
For the tender for the construction of Lot 4 of the Great Ring Road, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku is under investigation, while the defendant for the 190 million euro tender for the Llogara tunnel. On Saturday, the GJKKO confirmed the security measures “suspension from exercising her functions” as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, and “ban on leaving the country”. For her two subordinates, Gentian Gjyli, head of ARRSH, and Erald Elezi, administrator of KESH, the house arrest measure was left in force.
