The Wife of Tirana’s Mayor Also Deceived the Italian Embassy! Name of Italian Curator Used in Fake Invoices

In the case file of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK), where the defendants include Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and his wife, Ajola Xoxa, it is proven that the latter had full control over the functioning of the NGOs. Her control began from the project application stage to state institutions and extended to issuing fake invoices using names of individuals who had no connection to the project.

In the file obtained by Syri.net, there is a documented case involving an Italian citizen, Domenico Chirici, who was actually a curator for a different exhibition, but his name was used to issue an invoice for an event in which he had not participated at all.

The file also reveals fake invoices for a project involving the Italian embassy, and it was Ajola Xoxa’s intervention that ensured the release of the funds, as stated in the file.

Ajola Intervenes to Collect Embassy Funds

Communications between ‘Harabel’ center employee Ketrina Braho and accountant Adela Kondakciu are used by the prosecution to prove that ‘Harabel’ was entirely managed and controlled by Ajola and no one else. Driant Zeneli, who on paper held the position of executive director, was essentially a “puppet.”

Wiretaps also reveal efforts by the employees to inflate Harabel’s financial report.

Ajola also controls the BYL-A organization, and at one point, she tells her subordinates that both organizations – BYL-A and Harabel – will be presented as “sister organizations” to boost the annual financial report.

“When discussing an invoice for the Italian Embassy, Adela asks if they have invoices for it. Ketrina responds that they have mandates they issue themselves and want it to enhance the financial report. She concludes by saying she’s with Ajola and will explain it in person the next day. After clarifying that urgent payments had to be made, Ketrina tells her the embassy is expected to pay Harabel as reimbursement, but Ajola wants the payment to go directly to Harabel. This is so that, at year-end, it appears Harabel managed a larger amount of funds,” the file states.

The Main Concern: Matching Incoming Funds with Outgoing Invoices

“That’s the goal, even if these outgoing invoices are fictitious, the aim is to prevent unaccounted sums in the NGOs’ accounts,” SPAK notes.

In the embassy project, the money was secured “thanks to Ajola’s intervention after she sent a message.” It is also she who notified Ketrina that the payment had gone through, according to the file obtained by Syri.net.

Fake Invoices Using False Names

For project implementation, fictitious individuals were recruited.

In one communication, Ketrina tells Adela that they have an artistic director for a project funded by the Ministry of Culture, but he’s just a placeholder name, someone else can handle it.

Every financial transaction was under Ajola Xoxa’s control, and Adela couldn’t make a single payment without her confirmation, “not even for a coffee.”

All communications and Ketrina’s own statements confirm that “Ava Studio shpk,” ‘Harabel’ NGO, and BYL-A NGO were directly managed and fully controlled by Ajola.

Nothing Happens Without Ajola’s Orders; Employees Complain: ‘We’re in Chaos’

Ajola also dictated which company would issue which invoice, regardless of which organization had actually provided the service.

So, if a service was truly delivered by Harabel or another entity, Ajola decided which NGO or company should bill it. This back-and-forth between NGOs and companies often created confusion about who really provided the service, since invoice issuance was based on convenience, as determined by Ajola.

Even Ketrina Braho confirmed to investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) that fake invoices were issued from Ava Studio shpk, Arts Lab shpk, etc.

“Nothing gets done without her confirmation.”

In fact, even the employees handling daily administrative details often had no idea how to describe items in invoices.

Managing this multitude of NGOs and profit-making companies without mistakes was nearly impossible. One such mistake occurred in a project funded by the Ministry of Culture.

In BYL-A’s final report, they mistakenly placed Harabel’s logo. Ketrina admitted everything was a mess:

“I’ve used Harabel’s stamp when I should’ve used BYL-A’s, and vice versa,” Ketrina wrote. “Even the final documents for the Ministry of Tourism, I stamped them with BYL-A and had to reprint everything.”

Adela responded: “Oh no. The auditors probably won’t say anything, but KRK might.”

Ketrina: “I’ll redo them; there’s nothing else I can do.”

Adela: “Don’t use headed paper anymore.”

Ketrina: “OK.”

Ajola then announced: “We’ll apply to the Ministry of Culture.”

Ajola Xoxa had complete control over every aspect of NGO operations, starting from project applications to state institutions. The file also includes a conversation between two employees about how they were instructed to apply for a project to the Ministry of Culture.

In a wiretap, Ketrina tells Adela:

“I got a message from Ajola that we should apply to the Ministry of Culture.”

Adela: “Oh my God,” adding that even Linda (Kazani) is applying. But this time, Adela tells Ketrina they’ll handle it themselves because “those two are terrible.”

Later, Ketrina is informed that the Ministry of Culture has finally paid.

Ajola Xoxa decides everything, including whether BYL-A should apply for a festival project or not.

On March 7, 2023, Ketrina informs Adela that the National Youth Congress funded by the Tirana Municipality had transferred the funds to BYL-A.

In none of these communications related to BYL-A is the name of Ina Goxhaj, the organization’s executive director, ever mentioned, confirming that she was merely a figurehead with no decision-making power.

In one exchange with Adela, Ketrina writes that Ajola is assigning her a task for which she isn’t sure is even legitimate.

Italian Curator’s Name Used in Fake Invoices

On April 4, 2023, Harabel signed a contract with the Ministry of Culture to carry out a tourism-related project titled “From Antiquity to Contemporary Albanian Art”, funded by the Ministry itself.

The contract was signed by Ketrina, who was appointed as the general representative of Harabel in this case.

“When asked by Adela about the value, Ketrina replied: ‘30% of 640,000, so 192,000 ALL.’ It is implied this refers to the first installment of the payment from the Ministry of Culture. For this, Harabel issued the corresponding invoice, which Adela then sent to Ketrina via screenshot,” the SPAK case file states, according to Syri.net.

Another conversation clearly reveals invoices being issued with descriptions for individuals who were not actually involved in the projects.

This involves Italian citizen Domenico de Chirico, whose name appears as the curator of a different exhibition, but was used, following Ajola’s suggestions, for an invoice unrelated to his actual participation.

For this payment, Adela needed an invoice and asked how the description should be worded. The two women discussed how to phrase it to make the paperwork look legitimate, while also admitting that the numerous NGOs they were managing had become entangled. The issue was ultimately resolved after Ajola intervened.

“Adela: Ajola tells me to make a payment.”

When Ketrina responds that she’ll inform Ajola, Adela instructs her to use the description: “Production/Coordination Curator for Spa:Reproject.”

The fictitious nature of the invoice descriptions, when compared with the actual services paid for, is also made clear in another exchange:

Ketrina asks: “Is this description in the budget? I mean, OK, we’re doing it, but let’s not do it pointlessly.”

Adela responds: “Actually, I think we listed Ajola as the coordinator.”

At this point, Adela directly asks Ketrina whether the Italian citizen is really involved in the project.

Ketrina replies bluntly: “No. This thing doesn’t exist.”

She adds that someone can’t be listed as both production and coordination, or curator.

These descriptions were suggested by Ajola and passed to Adela, but, as Ketrina says, “none of them really work.”

The conversation makes it clear that the services listed in the invoice issued by Domenico de Chirico were fictitious.

In reality, de Chirico was the curator of a different exhibition that had opened just two days before the date of this communication (dated 02.06.2023).

“Adela continues by saying: Make the invoice something general, just list him as curator.”

Ketrina Braho then clearly states that this individual has no connection whatsoever to the Spa:Re project.

But Adela continues: “And I’ll write the payment description myself, however we want.”

Ketrina replies: “OK, if we’re doing it for the project, let’s find the proper declaration. So, you need an invoice as a curator.”

Adela then notes there are no more budget categories left under Harabel to make the payment.

“In the end, the invoice is issued by Italian citizen Domenico de Chirico for the amount Adela had mentioned earlier in the messages. The amount is €1,000 and the description matches exactly what was suggested by Adela and Ketrina: Curator of the solo exhibition ‘Rear-view mirror’ by Idlir Koka.”

In conclusion, the Italian citizen, following Ajola’s guidance, issued an invoice for an event he never actually participated in. / Syri.net/  

https://www.syri.net/politike/808702/gruaja-e-kryebashkiakut-te-tiranes-mashtroi-dhe-ambasaden-italiane-emri-i-kuratorit-italianit-ne-fatura-fiktive/