Përparim Rama questioned as a defendant over the €12 million “Capital City Architect” tender

Pristina Mayor Përparim Rama was interviewed on Friday by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo as a defendant. The questioning is linked to the investigation into the “Capital City Architect” project, whose contract had an estimated value of €12 million.

According to the Special Prosecution, Rama is suspected of the criminal offense of “Abuse of official position or authority.” The interview was conducted as part of the criminal case named “Capital City Architect.”

“The Special Prosecution is taking the necessary investigative and procedural steps in accordance with the legislation in force,” the institution said in its response.

Rama arrived at the Special Prosecution’s offices at around 1:30 p.m., accompanied by his lawyer, Artan Qerkini. The questioning lasted more than two hours.

Before entering the prosecution offices, the Pristina mayor did not say whether he had been summoned as a suspect or as a witness. Lawyer Qerkini said his status would be clarified after the interview.

“My job is to build the capital; their job is to see that everything is done legally,” Rama briefly told reporters.

After the interview, Rama said he would continue to cooperate with the justice authorities.

“I have repeatedly asked to cooperate with the Prosecution on this matter, as well as others. That is why I came, because this is how a democratic state works. My job is to develop the capital; the Prosecution’s job is to make sure that everything is being done in accordance with the legislation,” he said, adding: “We are completely transparent.”

On July 22, 2022, the Municipality of Pristina announced a tender for “Consultancy for establishing the Capital City Architect Service for the needs of the Municipality of Pristina.” The contract was expected to run for 36 months, and its value was set at €12 million.

Rama had defended the initiative, arguing that the municipal administration lacked sufficient capacity to handle the large number of projects. He said the service would involve more than 60 people, including consultants in architecture, infrastructure and urban planning.

From the early stages, the tender was accompanied by allegations of violations of the Public Procurement Law. Reports in 2024 noted that the winning consortium, made up of the companies “Anarch” and “Ardi Ç,” had submitted a tender security of €12,000, an amount ten times lower than the legal minimum.

It was also reported that architect Astrit Nixha, the owner of one of the winning companies, had previously had a working relationship with a business belonging to Mayor Rama.

The organization Democracy Plus raised allegations of a conflict of interest, saying that one of the members of the evaluation committee was registered as a collaborator of the winning company, Anarch Sh.P.K.

The project has also faced repeated opposition from Vetëvendosje Movement members of the Pristina Municipal Assembly. They have questioned the need for such a contract, particularly because Përparim Rama is an architect by profession.

Rama’s summons to the Prosecution came a few days after Vetëvendosje MP Egzon Azemi posted the message “Përparim Rama… tick tock, tick tock…” on Facebook. The post was seen as a warning of possible action against the Pristina mayor.

By the time this article was published, the Special Prosecution had not announced whether any further procedural measures would be taken against Rama.

The fact that Përparim Rama was interviewed as a defendant is not evidence of guilt. Like every other person, he is presumed innocent until criminal responsibility is established by a final court ruling.