The parliamentary inquiry commission for Urban Waste Treatment Plants did not approve the Investigation Plan presented by the chairwoman of the commission Jorida Tabaku after a 5-hour meeting late on Wednesday night.
The Socialists claimed that they could not approve an investigative plan, which extended beyond January 28, which is the commission’s deadline. While the opposition says that the Socialists blocked the investigation to protect the government involved in the corruption affair of about 430 million euros of 3 incinerators.
The commission thus risks entering into a stalemate without being able to close the investigation into one of the biggest corruption scandals of recent years, said VOA in a.report on Thursday.
The commission of inquiry is headed by the opposition, while the Socialists have one more member. The draft investigation plan, presented by chairperson Jorida Tabaku provided for the review of documentation and the summoning by mid-February as witnesses of 19 pernaka including Prime Minister Edi Rama, Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, former ministers Damian Gjiknuri and Lefter Koka, former mayors of Tirana, Elbasan and Fier, and administrators of the concessionaire.
The drafting of the final report was predicted to be ready on February 25.
But the Socialists did not approve the extension until the end of February of the investigation plan, stressing that the legal deadline for the functioning of this commission was 3 months, from October 28 to January 28.
“Unfortunately, the Socialist Party decided yesterday with the votes against the investigation plan to become a political shield of the biggest corruption affair for the state budget,” Tabaku told the press. The Socialist deputy chairwoman of this commission and the deputy speaker of the parliament, Ermonela Felaj, told “Voice of America” on Thursday that the investigative commission is in a coma because of the Democrats, because they delayed the investigation, using the issue for propaganda and political speeches. and did not want to face the documents and witnesses. / Argumentum.al
