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The Greek engineer testifies for 2 days at SPAK, how he won the supervision of the Llogara tunnel works from Balluku

2025-11-08 20:48:48 / POLITIKË ALFA PRESS

The Greek engineer testifies for 2 days at SPAK, how he won the supervision of

By Elton Qyno

Greek engineer, Yannis Kirkinezis, is the man who spoke at SPAK, giving precise explanations about winning the contract with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, for the supervision of the works being carried out for the construction of the Llogara tunnel in Orikum.

Up to this stage of the investigation into the Llogara tunnel supervision file, the Greek engineer's confession and the phone communications of Minister Belinda Balluku, former director of the Albanian Roads and Infrastructure Agency, Evis Berberi, and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Viola Haxhiademi, constitute the general evidence for filing criminal charges against Balluku and other officials.

Kirkinezis spent over 6 hours at SPAK giving explanations, and after the end of the official hours, the prosecutor in the case, Dritan Prençi, made sure that the Greek's testimony was interrupted and then continued the next day, syri.net learns.

Due to the delay and long presence at SPAK of engineer Kirkinezis, the Greek Embassy in Tirana has also shown interest, which is reported to have been informed by SPAK that the Greek citizen was being questioned as a person with knowledge of the circumstances of the incident and not as a person under investigation or even if any detention measure had been taken.

Journalist Elton Qyno has learned that the Greek citizen has cooperated with the prosecution, revealing the full dynamics that led him and Valter Begaj's "Net-Group" to win the 2 million euro contract to supervise the works of the Llogara tunnel.

He has confirmed to BKH investigators and prosecutor Prençi all the agreements he made in 2021 and onwards with Valter Begaj of "Net-Group" who is now in prison. Begaj is known to be close to the former director of the Albanian Anti-Corruption Agency, Evis Berberi, who is also in prison.

Yannis Kirkinezis, has indicated that he is an engineer by profession and that in Albania he manages the branch of the Dutch company "Hill International NV" with headquarters in Amsterdam. Another citizen, Emmanouil Sigalas, also acts as the legal representative of this company.

According to him, the company was opened on June 4, 2019 in Tirana, and they initially started their working relationship with the Albanian Development Fund, where they received their first contract in the public administration.

A month later, the company managed by him managed to win the 2 million euro tender opened by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, where in this competition the Greek engineer had joined forces with Valter Begaj's company "Net-Group".

Yannis Kirkinezis, has confirmed to SPAK that the tender for supervision was opened on November 25, 2021 by the Secretariat of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Viola Haxhiademi.

"Net Group" and "Hill International NV" competed against two other companies that had entered as the Association of Economic Operators "Stucky" Ltd and "Geokonsult & CO".

The limit fund of this tender was planned at 1 billion and 947 million old lekë, where the service was to be completed in 34 months.

According to official documents already seized by SPAK, the company "Hill International NV" of the Greek engineer and "Net Group" of Valter Begaj, have benefited in total from 14 transactions made by the Ministry of Infrastructure, 1 billion and 979 million lek.

So another 32 million old lekë above what was foreseen in the contract between the parties.

The amount of 1 billion and 979 million lek was paid based on contract No. 1537/3 concluded on May 16, 2022, which provided for engineering services for 13 situations of supervision of works in the Llogara tunnel.

The Ministry of Infrastructure appears to have paid the first tranche to "Hill International NV" in October 2022 in the amount of 88 million old lek. While the last tranche was paid on January 24, 2025 in the amount of 55 million lek.

This service contract has strong suspicions that it was predetermined in corrupt favors, therefore, SPAK has for several months seized all the documentary practice that was kept for this tender, reports Syri.net.

Meanwhile, the compromising data that was played behind the scenes of this tender is already on the phones of Evis Berberi and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Viola Haxhiademi, which have been seized and examined by the SPAK special prosecution.

This is file No. 2 for the Minister of Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku, who has a statute of limitations until November 25, 2026.

Currently, Belinda Balluku has been charged along with 5 other officials for the tendering practice for the construction of the Llogara tunnel worth almost 180 million euros.

But this is just the beginning, as three other investigations have been opened against Balluk, starting with the property investigation, an investigation into the two generator ships "Tigri 1" and "Tigri 2", as well as investigations into the concession contract for the construction of the Thumanë-Kashar road. / Syri.net 

 

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