Democratic Party accuses Tirana Municipality of double-charging a liability: Case must be verified and amount returned

The Democratic Party has denounced another case which, it says, demonstrates the unfair treatment of citizens by Tirana Municipality during procedures to collect tax liabilities.

Genta Vangjeli, the Democratic Party’s anti-corruption spokesperson, said the case was reported by Lush Vukaj and that the complaint was accompanied by documentation.

In her statement, Vangjeli said that Tirana Municipality had issued an enforcement order this year against the bank account of citizen Gentian Lush Vukaj.

The measure was intended to settle tax liabilities, including outstanding obligations and late-payment interest.

According to the citizen’s claim, he had paid the liability in full, in the amount requested by Tirana Municipality.

However, even after the payment had been made, the same amount was taken by blocking and executing the funds in his bank account, resulting in the same liability being paid twice.

After discovering what had happened, the citizen went to a commercial bank. The bank advised him to seek a solution by following the procedures at Tirana Municipality.

He said that he had gone to the institution several times, but the problem had not been resolved. According to him, during his contacts with the administration, he also encountered a lack of professionalism and arrogant behavior.

The Democratic Party considers that this case raises serious questions both about the administration of liability-collection procedures and about respect for citizens’ rights.

For this reason, the Democratic Party called on Tirana Municipality to immediately begin an investigation, identify any administrative responsibility that may have caused the situation, and fully clarify the matter.

If the citizen’s claims are confirmed, according to the Democrats, the amount withheld unlawfully must be reimbursed without delay, in cooperation with the relevant banking institution.

The Democratic Party also called on the responsible institutions to take measures to prevent similar cases from happening again.

Genta Vangjeli stressed that Tirana Municipality must serve citizens and ensure respect for their rights. She added that banks have an obligation to guarantee legal certainty for every action affecting their clients’ property, while the rule of law begins with protecting citizens’ most fundamental rights.

Until the statement was published, Tirana Municipality had issued no official response to the allegations raised by the Democratic Party.