Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha accused Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj of embezzling money directly from the municipality’s coffer. Speaking in his weekly meeting with media reporters, Berisha commented the latest scandal of Mayor Veliaj with the John Belushi Street in Tirana, for the reconstruction of which a fictitious tender was announced after the woks had begun from the municipality itself.

“He started and trumpeted loudly the construction of John Belushi Street. Then he announced a tender, which would take place twenty days later, on January 9, for asphalting the road”, said Berisha.

“Anyone would think this was a predetermined tender. This is a terrible embezzlement. But there’s worse. There was no private company doing the job, it was the municipality. On January 9 Veliaj would declare himself with another name as the tender’s winner and he would pocked nearly half a million Euros”.

Berisha recalled how Veliaj had his wedding banquet at the Castle of Gjiroastra which was reconstructed by Veliaj’s brother with the money given by Veliaj, at the time Minister of Social Welfare and Youth.

“Now he has bypassed his brother, excluding him from the stealing schemes. Now he has decided to take the money directly from the Municipality’s coffer to his”.