Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj has announced the opening of bidding for the construction of the new National Theater based on the Bjark Ingels’ project despite its being under investigation from SPAK, the Albanian Special Prosecution against Corruption. The Alliance for the Protections of the National Theater reacted immediately after the news.

Attorney Adriana Kalaja warned that “every action of the Mayor and his motley crew of benefiters on the back of public property will face legal and citizen action”.

“The decision number 29 of the Constitutional Court, dated July 2, 2021, that declared as anti-constitutional the Special Law no.37, and the Decision of the Council of Minister no. 377 that obligates the Municipality of Tirana to turn the property of the National Theater to the Ministry of Culture has not been executed yet”, said Kalaja.

“The corruptive project of Bjarke Ingell has been filed in SPAK and is under investigation since July 2020. The Decision no. 50 of the Municipal Council for the demolition of the National Theater has been filed at and is under investigation by SPAK since June 2020. The approval of the extra budget from the Commission of Economy and Finances for the construction of the new Theater has been sued by the Alliance since November 2020 and is under investigation by SPAK”.

“Knowing the Rama-Veliaj duo’s greed for benefits and the disrespect of laws and Constitution, the Alliance for the Protection of the Theater appeals to the justice organs to accelerate their actions to prevent the anti-law winning against the law. Also, they need to prove that the new justice is not a broken branch of Edi Rama’s new executive and Erion Veliaj’s call center”.