Vlorë airport concession: SPAK probe confirmed (2025) and termination steps (2026)
Status: Preliminary investigation confirmed (July 2025); charges and termination reported in 2026 secondary reports, not verified.
Summary
This entry adds the dated steps that the existing cases case-vlore-spak-procurement and case-vlore-termination-arbitration do not record in this form. Citizens.al reported on 9 July 2025 that SPAK's reply of 7 July 2025 to a right-to-information request confirmed criminal proceedings in the preliminary investigation phase. Citizens.al named the 2019 winners as Behgjet Pacolli (Mabetex and Mabco) and Valon Ademi (2A Group) with a bid of about 104 million EUR, and reported that AL-DE Corporation (Aldi Çeli) was disqualified for not submitting an offer, a claim its representatives disputed. Secondary reports (not confirmed in the original source) report that SPAK later charged first suspects, that the state began formal termination in August 2026, and that the ICC emergency arbitrator refused to suspend it, with an order dated 16 September 2026. These later items are unverified in this round.
Key facts
- Winners declared December 2019 with a bid of about 104 million EUR (Citizens.al, 2025).
- SPAK reply dated 7 July 2025 confirms proceedings in the preliminary phase (Citizens.al).
- Tirana Times and Albanian Daily News excerpts: 103.9 or 104.3 million EUR investment figure differs by source.
- Secondary reports (unverified): ICC emergency arbitrator decision dated 16 Sep 2026 refused to suspend termination.
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 (1)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- SPAK confirmed criminal proceedings in the preliminary phase (July 2025, per SPAK reply quoted by Citizens.al).
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationFavouritism of the winning consortium and procedural irregularities in the concession tender.
Allegations and who made them (1)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationSPAK's view, as reported in excerpts, is that officials may have favoured the winning consortium between December 2019 and March 2021 (not confirmed in the original source).
Open questions (3)
- Names and roles of the charged suspects (none confirmed on an opened page).
- The ICC order text and the replacement operator.
- Whether the Pacolli and Ademi consortium have responded to the charges (no response in the Citizens article).
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- No response from Pacolli, Ademi or other parties in the Citizens.al article (July 2025).
- Government said earlier it denied environmental violations and defended the project (Citizens.al, 2025).
Figures
Money trail →Vlorë airport concession: winning bid about 104 million EUR (Dec 2019)
€104,000,000
concessionSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Citizens.al; Tirana Times gives 103.9m and another source 104.3m
Date: Dec 2019 · Payer: State (concession) · Payee: Pacolli / Ademi consortium
- Citizens.al 2025 (opens in a new tab)Citizens.al · 9 Jul 2025 · journalism · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →SPAK
SPAK confirms preliminary-phase criminal proceedings on Vlorë airport (right-to-information reply)
Reply to a 20 June request, reported by Citizens.al on 9 July 2025.
SPAK
SPAK charges first suspects over the 2021 Vlorë airport award panel; investigation extended to 23 Nov 2026
Secondary reports (Albanian Daily News headlines and summaries, not reviewed in full) report that SPAK formally charged the first suspects: officials who sat on the panel that awarded the 35-year Vlorë airport concession in March 2021 to a consortium including Mabco (Behgjet Pacolli) and 2A Group (Valon Ademi). The project value is reported as EUR 104.3 million; SPAK suspects the winning bidders may have been favoured. The investigation has been extended to 23 Nov 2026. Pacolli was questioned for seven hours as a person with knowledge of the case, and has filed a complaint with SPAK about the company structure. The names of the charged officials and the charge articles were not found. Pacolli has said Mabco could pursue international arbitration. None of this is established by a court.
Government
Ministry starts procedure to terminate the Vlorë airport concession; ICC emergency arbitrator rejects suspension (16 Sep 2026)
Albanian Daily News reports that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy began the procedure to terminate the Vlorë airport concession in August 2026, citing delays and construction-contract violations. The concessionaire, VIA, sought emergency relief at the ICC. According to the Ministry, the emergency arbitrator's order of 16 Sep 2026 rejected two of VIA's three requests, including the request to suspend the termination; a temporary measure restricts some rights arising from termination until the tribunal is constituted. This rests on a single Albanian report citing the Ministry; the tribunal's constitution was not confirmed.
Connections
Questioned by SPAK for seven hours (as person with knowledge)
Evidence: Albanian Daily News headline: Pacolli left SPAK after seven hours of questioning over the Vlorë airport investigation; he was questioned as a person with knowledge, according to the secondary report.
Winning consortium (Mabetex/Mabco) of Vlorë airport
Evidence: Citizens.al 2025 names Pacolli as winner (with Ademi) in Dec 2019 tender.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
The Vlorë airport charges target the award panel, while the concession dispute moves to arbitration
SPAK's reported charges focus on the officials who awarded the concession in 2021, while the state moved to terminate it and the concessionaire went to ICC emergency arbitration. If the state terminates and loses arbitration, the financial exposure would fall on the state, which is why the arbitration matters for the wider case.
Evidence for
- SPAK reportedly charged award-panel officials; investigation extended to 23 Nov 2026 (Albanian Daily News summary).
- ICC emergency arbitrator rejected two of three VIA requests, including suspension of termination (Ministry, via a single report).
Evidence against
- Names of charged officials and charge articles were not found.
- Pacolli was questioned as a person with knowledge, not as a suspect, per the summary.
- The Ministry's account of the arbitration rests on a single report and the tribunal's constitution is unconfirmed.
- Source label: Unverified
Vlorë airport 2019 tender: disqualified bidder and consortium favouritism (SPAK line of inquiry)
SPAK's inquiry, as reported, covers the period December 2019 to March 2021 and asks whether officials favoured the winning consortium. The disqualification of AL-DE Corporation for not submitting an offer, which its representatives dispute, would be a natural test of that. The consortium's later dispute between shareholders (existing case-vlore-shareholder-litigation) could show whether the favour was real or whether the partners fell out.
Evidence for
- SPAK confirmed preliminary criminal proceedings (July 2025, Citizens.al).
- Disputed disqualification of AL-DE Corporation (Citizens.al 2025).
- Existing dataset: Mabco vs 2A Group shareholder litigation stalled construction.
Evidence against
- No charges or named suspects are confirmed in sources opened; the 2026 charges are secondary-report items only.
- The winning consortium and the government both denied environmental violations (per Citizens.al).
- Shareholder fights are a plausible business reason for stalled works without any tender fraud.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 4 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- Citizens.al
- Date
- 9 Jul 2025
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 3 sources
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- 2026
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- Aug 2026
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- not recorded