“The Albanian Files”, Ola Xama: Edi Rama personally invited the architects, suspicions of conflict of interest

Journalist Ola Xama, invited to the program “Të Paekspozuarit” on MCN TV, spoke about the book “The Albanian Files”, which is considered by protesters to be Edi Rama’s “murder weapon” and has been submitted to SPAK.

Xama explained that the book contains indications of a possible conflict of interest, as the prime minister personally contacted foreign architects, imposing them on private companies in Albania.

“The book The Albanian Files is Rama’s attempt to present Albania in the eyes of the world. He is trying to turn the word file into a signal of hope for the future, unlike the past.

I have worked on several investigations related to the conflict of interest and how he determines, not only in the public sector but also in the private sector, and you find traces and notes showing how they were personally invited by Mr. Edi Rama.

I made an Excel breakdown of the projects by year; around 20 are from the time when Rama was mayor, we have about two years of pause while he was in opposition, and after 2013, there are 540 projects, when Rama was chairman of the KKT.

You find a company that received projects for Korça, urban renaissance projects, and they say we came when Rama was mayor of Tirana, we did not win the competition but we received a postcard and he told us that our door was welcome in Albania and he brought an investor to our door. We need to examine the conflict of interest.

There are debates over aesthetics, whether Albanians should do them or foreigners as well.

The question that arises and relates to the criminal aspect of this book is: do we have a law under which the person who gives you the construction permit also determines who will do the project? We do not.

In fact, in the capitalist system, this is not even a rule or norm, but in a system where the state imposes itself even on the private sector, there may be reason here to look at elements of a criminal offense,” Xama declared.