Italy-Albania centres: direct awards and cost questions (Shëngjin and Gjadër, 2024)
Status: Reported allegations of procurement irregularity and cost overrun risk; no official finding confirmed. Status of Italian Court of Audit / prosecutor file not verified.
Summary
Italian daily Domani reported in April 2024 that the Defence Ministry planned EUR 65 million for construction work at the two Italy-run facilities in Albania, to be carried out by a military engineering unit with no tender. A 'determina a contrarre' and an official timetable, obtained by the paper, were the basis for the report. The reporters described the procedure as direct award with no tender; the Defence Ministry documents as quoted set the works at EUR 64.4 million with EUR 0.6 million for contingencies, over 223 days.
In October 2024, Domani reported direct awards of more than EUR 60 million for the centres and named Everest Shpk as the only Albania-based operator selected, according to Bonelli and the Defence Ministry. Interior Minister Piantedosi answered Bonelli's parliamentary question the same day, saying procurement was derogated from all laws except criminal law, anti-mafia rules were respected, and all contracts banned subcontracting.
The figures differ by source and date (EUR 47.7m, 60m, 65m, and a total protocol cost of EUR 670m already in the dataset). No prosecutor's or Court of Audit finding was confirmed in this research, though an ActionAid complaint to the Court of Audit is reported in secondary reports (not confirmed in the original source).
Key facts
- Domani, 10 April 2024: 'saranno necessari 65 milioni di euro', covering construction only (works EUR 64,403,144; contingencies EUR 596,856).
- Domani, 10 April 2024: works to be carried out by Ggc (Gruppo genio campale, Aeronautica militare) and the Genio militare; duration 223 days.
- Domani, 10 April 2024: 'Affidamenti... avverranno senza limiti di importo' (quoted from the documents); reporters' own reading: 'nessuna gara, sarà affidamento diretto'.
- Domani, 16 October 2024: direct awards of more than EUR 60 million for the centres (Bonelli's figure, as reported by Domani).
- Domani, 16 October 2024: Everest Shpk named as the only Albania-based operator selected, per Bonelli and the Defence Ministry.
- Piantedosi, 16 October 2024: procurement derogated from all laws except criminal law; subcontracting banned by all contracts.
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (2)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- The Defence Ministry issued a 'determina a contrarre' and a works timetable of 223 days, as quoted by Domani (documents seen by the paper; not published in full in the article opened).
- The minister told Parliament the procurement was under the ratification-law derogation (official statement, as reported).
What is alleged (3)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat the direct-award procedure avoided competitive tender and bypassed controls (Domani and Bonelli).
- AllegationThat subcontractors worked on the project in breach of the ban (Bonelli, denied by the minister).
- AllegationThat the costs are materially higher than announced (Bonelli's EUR 800m figure; not verified).
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationDomani (reporters' reading of the documents): the works were awarded directly with no tender.
- AllegationBonelli (AVS): the structures cost over EUR 800 million to house 3,000 people; other companies worked on the project despite the ban on subcontracting.
Open questions (4)
- Whether the Rome prosecutor or the Court of Audit (Corte dei conti) has opened a file, and its status (ActionAid complaint reported; not confirmed).
- The identity of the subcontractors and the Everest Shpk contract value.
- Whether the ANAC received the ActionAid report on the EUR 133m management tender (not confirmed in the original source).
- Which of the EUR 47.7m, 60m, 65m, 74m and 670m figures represents construction, management or total cost.
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Piantedosi (16 Oct 2024): derogation was for the ratification law; anti-mafia code preserved; subcontracting banned in all contracts. Quoted in Domani.
- The Defence Ministry's response to the April 2024 Domani report was not found in this research.
Figures
Money trail →Construction budget for Shëngjin and Gjadër, per Defence Ministry determina (construction only)
€65,000,000
Stated definition: Domani figure: 'saranno necessari 65 milioni di euro'. Works EUR 64,403,144 plus contingencies EUR 596,856. Construction and site works only; running costs excluded. Source is the determina a contrarre seen by Domani.
Date: 10 Apr 2024 · Payer: Government of Italy (Defence Ministry) · Payee: Ggc / Genio militare (construction assigned); Everest Shpk named as Albanian operator by Bonelli and Defence Ministry
- Un carcere da 65 milioni di euro (opens in a new tab)Domani · 10 Apr 2024 · journalism · OTHER
Direct awards for the centres, as cited in Bonelli's question
€60,000,000
Stated definition: 'over 60 million' per Domani (16 Oct 2024) describing Bonelli's question. A floor, not a precise total; overlaps with the 65m construction budget above, so do not add them.
Date: 16 Oct 2024 · Payer: Government of Italy (Defence Ministry) · Payee: Direct-award contractors (Everest Shpk named as Albania-based operator)
- Piantedosi on CPR migranti Albania (opens in a new tab)Domani · 16 Oct 2024 · journalism · OTHER
Timeline
Full timeline →Media
Domani reports EUR 65m construction budget for Italy-Albania centres, awarded without tender
Domani publishes the Defence Ministry determina a contrarre (EUR 64.4m works, 223 days) and reporters' reading that the award was direct.
Government
Piantedosi answers Bonelli question on direct awards for Italy-Albania centres
Minister says procurement was derogated under the ratification law, anti-mafia rules were kept, and subcontracting is banned. Bonelli cites over EUR 60m in direct awards and Everest Shpk as sole Albanian operator.
Connections
Named as sole Albania-based operator selected
Evidence: Domani 16 Oct 2024, citing Bonelli and the Defence Ministry: assigned building works and ordinary installations.
- Public contract←Ggc (Gruppo genio campale, Aeronautica militare) / Genio militareSource label: Under investigation
Assigned construction of the centres
Evidence: Domani 10 Apr 2024: works to be carried out by Ggc and the Genio militare under a Defence Ministry determina.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Italy-Albania centres: a derogated direct-award channel with one named Albanian operator
The Italian centres in Albania were built under a ratification law that derogates from all procurement rules except criminal law, with construction given to a military engineering unit by direct award. The available documents name one Albania-based operator (Everest Shpk) and report cost figures that do not reconcile. If a single operator and an unverified subcontracting chain sit inside a no-tender channel, the public cost figures would be hard to audit. The hypothesis does not claim wrongdoing. It asks whether the procurement design, not any individual, created the opacity.
Evidence for
- Domani (10 Apr 2024): 'nessuna gara' reading of the determina; construction EUR 64.4m with contingencies EUR 0.6m over 223 days.
- Piantedosi (16 Oct 2024) confirms derogation from all laws except criminal law under the ratification law.
- Bonelli says other companies worked on the project; the minister denied subcontracting but named no companies.
- Cost figures range from EUR 47.7m to EUR 800m in the sources reviewed, and no reconciliation was published.
Evidence against
- The minister said anti-mafia code rules were preserved and that all contracts ban subcontracting.
- No prosecutor or Court of Audit finding was confirmed.
- The Domani reading ('affidamento diretto e selvaggio') is the reporters' own interpretation.
- The EUR 670m total protocol cost in the dataset covers many years of operation, not only construction, so the figures are not like-for-like.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 2 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- Domani
- Date
- 16 Oct 2024
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 1 source
- Publisher
- Domani
- Date
- 10 Apr 2024