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.

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