New Criminal Complaint Filed at SPAK Over “Bankers” 123 Million Euros, Targeting Belinda Balluku, Anila Denaj, and Petrit Malaj

The Special Prosecution has included former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku in the investigations into the “Bankers” scandal, after a new criminal complaint filed by lawyer Adriana Kalaja was attached to the existing file. In this document, besides Balluku, former Finance Minister Anila Denaj and current Minister Petrit Malaj are also accused.

According to the lawyer’s claims, the actions and inactions of these senior officials have caused the state budget a financial damage of 123 million euros, an amount that has not yet been recovered.

During her statement before the Special Prosecution, Kalaja made it known that the judicial police officer confirmed the joining of her complaint with the main “Bankers” file, where the relevant investigations are now underway. The lawyer stressed that the matter must be handled based on evidence, law, and the Constitution, free from any political interference.

She accuses Anila Denaj and Petrit Malaj not only of abuse of office, but also of other criminal offenses such as exercising unlawful influence, passive corruption, arbitrary actions, and money laundering. In her reading, these violations were committed under the umbrella of a structured criminal group and are directly linked to the handling of the “Bankers” case.

According to Kalaja, one element that cannot be ignored is the different treatment of this matter during different governing periods. She brought as an example a document issued when Arben Ahmetaj was at the helm of finances, through which the responsible bodies were ordered to collect 123 million euros, an action that Kalaja considers within legal competencies.

In contrast, the documents signed by Belinda Balluku and Anila Denaj, according to the lawyer, were not based on their competencies and severely damaged the authority of the Customs and the General Directorate of Taxes. She claims that initially the suspension of the fine was sought, while later continuous interventions followed that caused serious damage to the state, a damage that originates from the sale of the former Ballshi refinery and the missing 21 million euros from the budget.

As for current minister Petrit Malaj, the issue raised in the complaint relates to the timing of the actions taken. The lawyer questions whether his delays, even though the actions may seem well-founded, have added to the damage to the state after the Arbitration Court’s decision — a decision that largely upheld the measures taken by the tax authorities and AKBN.

In her statement, Kalaja called on SPAK to act professionally and underlined that she will not tolerate any stalling of the investigations. She also addressed prosecutor Dritan Prençi, pointing out that the other case he has in hand concerning Belinda Balluku has had no developments since March 12. According to her, based on the Code of Criminal Procedure, the file should have been closed as early as April 2024, and she raised the suspicion whether through procedural delays SPAK is granting amnesty to the defendant.

The lawyer expressed confidence that this case will be fully unraveled and that she will denounce any violation, whether by SPAK prosecutors or by judges of the GJKKO. Finally, she also mentioned the media, alluding that, except for two television stations, some of them are refusing to broadcast the accusations against Belinda Balluku, which according to her is linked to illegal influence and money.