Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku commented the request made to the parliament by the Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK) for the arrest of former minister of Finances Arben Ahmetaj. Tabaku said the request proves that every accusation made by the investigative commission on waste incinerators was true.

She also appealed to Ahmetaj to collaborate fully with justice.

“Today, the Parliament of Albania will assemble to address, via the Council of the Ministers, the mandate of the Member of Parliament and former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Economy, former Minister of Finances, Arben Ahmetaj”, said Tabaku.

“One of the charges against him is corruption and concealment of personal wealth, related to the waste incinerators affair. A careful reading of the request shows how the affair of the three incinerators, which are installations of corruption in our country, proves how the former Deputy Prime Minister is today accused of the benefits he received from their owners”.

“Since 2017, I have continuously denounced the incinerators affair. In the fall of 2021, the Parliament of Albania voted almost unanimously to set up an investigative commission on incinerators. The purpose of the commission was to investigate the affair of €430 million donated to the same persons with close ties to the government, three persons that are wanted by justice today and without the necessary assets or technical and professional knowledge to manage this project worth millions of Euros. The commission held over 55 public hearings, which translated into 60 hours of testimony of vital importance to this matter. During the last three weeks of non-stop testimony, every Albanian learned how €430 million go from their pockets to the people that corrupted the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania. Today, this commission really reaps a victory that we can say is emblematic by the nature of the charges that SPAK has raised against former Deputy Prime Minister Ahmetaj”.