The Democratic Party has called for the immediate termination of the €15 million tender procedure for the purchase of three firefighting aircraft, as well as the launch of an investigation by SPAK.

Genta Vangjeli, the Democratic Party’s anti-corruption spokesperson, said documents published in the media raise suspicions about the company declared the winner.

According to her, the company has been involved in court cases in Spain related to the manipulation of tenders and corruption in the firefighting aircraft sector.

Vangjeli said these circumstances run counter to the legal criteria applied to procurement in the defense and security sectors, and called for the responsibilities to be established.

In her statement, she emphasized that the publication by the media of documents and information about the €15 million tender, through which three firefighting aircraft will be purchased, once again demonstrates how Edi Rama’s government administers national defense and security, as well as Albanian taxpayers’ funds.

According to media reports cited by her, the Ministry of Defense has selected Air Tractor Europe S.L. as the winner, a company involved in court rulings in Spain concerning tender manipulation and corruption in the field of aircraft used to fight fires.

Vangjeli stated that the decisions of the Spanish judicial authorities, which concern corrupt damages of at least €150 million, together with the 2024 decision of the Supreme Court in Greece, prevent the company from participating in public procurement procedures in European Union countries.

She added that Albanian legislation also provides for similar punitive clauses.

1. According to Article 38/1 of Law 36/2020, “On Procurement in the Field of Defense and Security,” the contracting authority disqualifies any operator when information is available that it is or has been convicted by a final criminal judgment of a range of criminal offenses, including forgery, corruption and fraud.

2. The standard tender documents in the field of defense and security, in Annex 10, which must be completed by the participating economic operator and submitted to the contracting authority, require the bidder to self-declare, under its full responsibility, that it has not been convicted of any of the criminal offenses specified in Article 38/1 of the law “On Procurement in the Field of Defense and Security.”

Based on these circumstances, the Democratic Party called for the immediate cancellation of the procedure and an in-depth investigation by SPAK, with the aim of penalizing those responsible.

The post Democratic Party calls for cancellation of €15 million tender for firefighting aircraft, Vangjeli: Winner linked to scandals in Spain, SPAK investigation… appeared first on Albeu.com.

In a reaction shared on social media, Fuga stressed that such a step would be necessary if MPs still have even the slightest sense of moral and social responsibility.

“The best thing would be for the Parliament of Albania to announce the timetable for its own self-dissolution! If MPs still have a shred of moral and social responsibility left!” Fuga wrote.

According to him, the way parliamentary institutions function leaves much to be desired, while he said that during his participation in parliamentary committees on culture, science, education and youth, he encountered, as he put it, a lack of responsibility, incompetence and weak professionalism.

“Whenever I have happened to be in committees of the Parliament of Albania on issues of culture, science, education, youth, etc., I have held my head in disbelief at the futility, the lack of responsibility, the party alignment, the lack of professional competence,” he declared.

Fuga added that these experiences had prompted him several years ago to decide not to take part in parliamentary committee meetings anymore.

“It was pointless, it felt as if you were taking part in a meeting of dolls with broken mechanisms inside their straw-filled bellies,” he said.

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The best thing would be for the Parliament of Albania to announce the timetable for its own self-dissolution! If MPs still have a shred of moral and social responsibility left!

As for me, whenever I have happened to be in committees of the Parliament of Albania on issues of culture, science, education, youth, etc., I have held my head in disbelief at the futility, the lack of responsibility, the party alignment, the lack of professional competence, and why not, even the stupidity of some male or female MP. But I will not go back to naming names, because history has thrown them into the trash. This led me several years ago to declare that from that moment on I refused to take part in any parliamentary committee meeting.

It was pointless, it felt as if you were taking part in a meeting of dolls with broken mechanisms inside their straw-filled bellies.

The post Artan Fuga calls for the self-dissolution of Parliament: MPs should have at least a shred of responsibility left appeared first on Albeu.com.

He called for a response from citizens toward the government, which according to him is rejecting this project, lajmi.net reports.

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Dear citizens and friends,

According to Hoti, the issue of the gas project is much broader and more serious than it is currently being presented. He stressed that this is not only about infrastructure or energy, but constitutes a clear test of Kosovo’s strategic orientation and its relationship with its historic ally, the United States of America.

Hoti said that at a time when the government is opposing this project, silence cannot be an alternative. According to him, a public response is necessary to demonstrate that the people of Kosovo remain firmly aligned with the alliance with the US and Euro-Atlantic values.

He also stressed that Kosovo must not move away from the path that has brought it this far, describing this as a moment for citizens’ voices.

The post Hoti calls for a public response to the government over the American gas project: Kosovo must not stray from the path that brought it here appeared first on Albeu.com.