Plug / Igli Tare, from the football field to construction and energy business with Belinda Balluku’s blessing

The program Plug aired on April 29, 2026, on Syri TV.

Part Three

Billions of euros and millions of square meters belonging to Albanians have allegedly been misappropriated for collapsing roads and the privatization of the country’s most strategic sector, energy. In previous programs, we examined in detail an audit conducted by the State Supreme Audit (KLSH) in the Municipality of Fier. KLSH auditors reviewed lease contracts concluded between the municipality and several private entities, identifying blatant violations of the law.

Plug analyzed these contracts and found that farmland in Fier had been allocated to a group of clients close to the government for the construction of photovoltaic parks. These were not anonymous figures, but individuals closely linked to Belinda Balluku, including 4AM owned by Ardit Metaliaj, 2T owned by the brother of Gramoz Sako, and companies connected to the daughter of Fatmir Xhafaj.

In addition to these figures, the KLSH audit identified another, less publicly known company involved in similar violations related to acquiring farmers’ land: Agro Roma 2019. This company is owned by former national team footballer Igli Tare, who was recently reported by the media visiting the prime minister’s office, sparking speculation about a meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama.

He was widely applauded on the field while wearing the national team jersey. Today, however, this program focuses not on the footballer, but on the citizen Igli Tare, brother of Agron Tare, who has held several senior positions in the public administration and the Council of Ministers. At the time Igli Tare registered the company that acquired state property in Fier, his brother was serving in a key role as Director General of the Port Authority of Durrës.

Before Belinda Balluku’s appointment as Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in December 2018, Igli Tare did not appear to be engaged in any major profit-generating activity in Albania. That changed as Balluku rose to the highest levels of power. According to the investigation, Tare and Balluku have maintained a close relationship since 2014, and it is up to SPAK to determine whether the launch and growth of Tare’s businesses are directly linked to Balluku.

One point, however, is clear: the success of these ventures, both in construction and in the energy sector, falls squarely within Balluku’s area of authority. While Tare continued to achieve financial success in Albania, Balluku publicly congratulated him for his achievements in football.

Returning to the investigation, the company Agro Roma was established in December 2018 and registered with the National Business Center (QKB) on January 25, 2019, with Aleksandra Tare, Igli Tare’s mother, born in 1951, listed as administrator.

The first financial statement filed with the QKB was for 2020. According to that report, the company operated in the construction sector, had one employee, and reported no revenue, while declaring liabilities to its shareholder exceeding €300,000 at current exchange rates.

This indicated that the company had incurred expenses, leading to suspicions that these costs were related to applying for a construction permit.

In January 2021, Soni Agalliu, a cousin of Igli Tare, was appointed administrator.

The 2021 financial statement appeared to confirm these suspicions. Agro Roma 2019 reported construction inventory valued at 99 million lekë (approximately €990,000 at current rates), up from around €790,000 in 2020.

At the same time, the company’s only employees were Soni Agalliu and Aleksandra Tare.

Further investigation by Plug found that Edi Rama and Belinda Balluku had approved a construction permit for the company in one of Tirana’s most expensive areas.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR:

“A complex development with mixed functions, including services, hospitality, and residential use,” near Zogu i Zi, Tirana.