Suspected Economic Aid Scheme, Security Measures for 6 Public Officials

At the request of the Elbasan Prosecutor’s Office, six state officials have been placed under security measures after they were suspected of being part of a scheme abusing economic aid funds, causing damage to the budget estimated at around 12.5 million lek.

According to the official statement, the Elbasan Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction imposed on them the measures “Obligation to appear before the judicial police” and “Suspension from exercising a duty or public service.” The individuals subject to these measures held positions such as social administrator, postal worker, municipal department director, and administrative specialists.

The investigation was opened following a complaint filed by a citizen in April 2025, who raised suspicions of abuse involving the economic aid scheme linked to his relatives. After checks carried out by the Elbasan Prosecutor’s Office together with the Section for the Investigation of Economic and Financial Crime, an organized scheme operating in an administrative unit of Elbasan County was uncovered.

The prosecution body said that during the period October 2024 to July 2025, families that did not meet the criteria for receiving financial support from the state were illegally included in the economic aid scheme. The investigation shows that the number of beneficiaries was fictitiously inflated, while the funds were unlawfully misappropriated.

The Prosecutor’s Office stresses that, after the criminal proceedings began, the number of families receiving benefits in this administrative unit fell from 320 to only 110 families, which investigators say demonstrates the scale of the abuse.

Investigative actions led to the conclusion that the officials involved acted in coordination with one another by failing to manage the necessary documentation, fictitiously increasing the list of beneficiaries, and failing to carry out the checks required by law to prevent the illegal activity.

The Elbasan Prosecutor’s Office announced that the case will go to trial, as the suspects have been formally notified of the charges and have been given the status of defendants.