After being on the run for several months, businessman Ergys Agasi was arrested over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding tenders for the national agency overseeing the development of state information systems.
Albanian businessman Ergys Agasi in front of the SPAK organised crime and corruption prosecution office in Tirana. Photo: LSA.
Albanian businessman Ergys Agasi, arrested on Wednesday in Durres, is suspected of being part of a scheme that utilised organised crime to manipulate and extort public procurement procedures valued at approximately 59 million euros.
Albania’s organised crime and corruption prosecution SPAK confirmed
Albania’s organised crime and corruption prosecution SPAK confirmed the arrest in a statement saying saying that “at the time of the arrest, this individual (Ergys Agasi) was accompanied by U. Sh., a former police officer, who was arrested immediately for the criminal offence of ‘aiding the perpetrator of a crime’.”
Agasi is accused of forming a structured criminal group with another businessman, Ermal Beqiraj, to rig and extort tenders from the National Agency for Information Society, AKSHI, including through the use of violence and hostage-taking.
Agasi denies the allegations. His lawyer Maksim Haxhia told media on Thursday that “it is a fact that he has not touched public funds, as he has never held a position of authority involving the management of public finances, nor has he participated in any tenders.”
His alleged partner in the scheme, Beqiraj,
His alleged partner in the scheme, Beqiraj, was arrested in France on July 24 while flying a light aircraft through restricted airspace over the Penly nuclear power plant. He was escorted by air force units until he landed at the Albert airfield in the Somme region of northern France.
According to SPAK, further investigations by French authorities identified assets belonging to Beqiraj in France that are suspected to be of criminal origin. SPAK alleges that Beqiraj transferred a portion of his illicit proceeds to France, using the funds to purchase a château, two apartments, and motor vehicles, while also depositing over 2 million euros into bank accounts.
Beqiraj has not commented publicly on the allegations so far.
SPAK initially charged Agasi and Beqiraj with “illegal competition through violence”, “illegal deprivation of liberty”, “violation of equality in tenders”, involvement in a “structured criminal group” and “laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offence”, in December last year.
AKSHI coordinates the development of state information systems
AKSHI coordinates the development of state information systems and digitalisation procedures, and administers the state public services portal, e-Albania. For over a decade, the agency managed a massive budget; in just 19 procedures investigated by SPAK, the estimated total value (limit fund) amounted to 5.9 billion lek (approximately 59 million euros).
The SPAK investigation alleges that AKSHI director Mirlinda Karcanaj and her deputy, Hava Delibashi, placed these funds in the hands of a group linked to organised crime, pre-selecting winners and ensuring the diversion of tens of millions of euros into the accounts of IT businessman Beqiraj and Agasi.
Karcanaj and Delibashi have both denied the allegations.
Source: balkaninsight.com
