Albania’s Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) has formally indicted five former officials of the Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) on charges related to abuse of office and corruption. The decision follows an extensive investigation into alleged irregularities in public tenders and infrastructure projects.

Those taken as defendants are Evis Berberi, who was the General Director of the ARRSH, Erald Elezi the Director of the Strategic Planning and Operations Directorate at the ARRSH, Gentian Gjyli the Director of the Construction and Maintenance Directorate at the ARRSH, while Jetmira Dervishi and Mirzeta Kashnica, high-level specialists at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

According to SPAK, the former officials are accused of violating procurement procedures and mismanaging public funds during their time in office, causing financial damage to the state budget. The investigation reportedly uncovered evidence of favoritism in contract awards and inflated project costs.

The indictments have been filed with the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), which will now decide on the next steps in the judicial process.

SPAK stated that the case is part of its continued efforts to ensure accountability in public administration and strengthen integrity in the use of state funds.

The investigations are related to the public procurement procedure for the “Construction of the Llogara Tunnel” project. The tender was initially held on December 11, 2020 and, after cancellation, was reopened on June 22, 2021, with a limit fund of 18.9 billion lek excluding VAT.