Strabag-linked payments from the Albanian state budget (about EUR 23m, 2019-2022): BIRN analysis
Status: Investigative report only; no Albanian proceeding found
Summary
A Tirana Times article of 17 Sept 2026 reports a BIRN analysis of Treasury payment records. According to it, companies linked to Austrian group Strabag received about EUR 23m from Albania's state budget between January 2019 and April 2022 for roads, reconstruction after the 2019 earthquake and other infrastructure. The article names no specific contracts, values, award dates or procuring institutions.
The article links Strabag to sanctioned Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska through the Rasperia holding, which had a stake in Strabag. Strabag says it has no business relationship with Deripaska and was not barred from operating. The article states that it does not establish any direct payment to Deripaska. No SPAK, court or government response is reported. This is a public-procurement exposure story, not a finding of abuse of office.
Key facts
- About EUR 23m paid from the state budget to Strabag-linked companies, Jan 2019 to Apr 2022 (BIRN analysis as reported by Tirana Times, 17 Sept 2026).
- Strabag denies a business relationship with Deripaska (Strabag statement, as reported).
- Expert commentary in the article describes the Albanian beneficial-owner register as an archive of self-declarations (commentary, not official).
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.
- Payment totals are as stated in the BIRN analysis as reported; not checked against Treasury data.
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat sanctioned-linked interests benefited from Albanian public contracts.
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.
- AllegationThe article reports that sanctioned-linked interests reached Albanian public contracts (attributed to BIRN analysis, as reported by Tirana Times).
Open questions (3)
- Which contracts and procuring institutions received these payments?
- Did any payment occur after April 2022?
- Was there any SPAK or KLSH review of these contracts?
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Strabag: no business relationship with Deripaska; distanced itself after 2022; not subject to sanctions barring operation (as reported).
Timeline
Full timeline →Media
Tirana Times: BIRN analysis links about EUR 23m in state payments to Strabag-linked companies (2019-2022)
Report on Deripaska-linked Strabag interests and Albanian public contracts. No official response reported.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Sanctions-linked corporate chain in state contracts: a gap in beneficial-ownership checks
The BIRN analysis (via Tirana Times) links Strabag-linked payments (about EUR 23m, 2019-2022) to a sanctioned owner through a holding company. If the beneficial-owner check failed, this would match the expert concerns about the Albanian beneficial-owner register and the McGonigal/Deripaska file already in the dataset (case-mcgonigal).
Evidence for
- Tirana Times reports that Rasperia held the Strabag stake and was sanctioned in 2022.
- Expert commentary describes the Albanian beneficial-owner register as self-declarations.
- The McGonigal case already in the dataset involves work for Deripaska.
Evidence against
- Strabag denies any business relationship with Deripaska and says it was not barred from operating.
- The article says it does not establish direct benefit to Deripaska.
- No contract, award or SPAK file is named, and no abuse of office is alleged in the article.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 1 source.
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 1 source
- Publisher
- Tirana Times
- Date
- 17 Sep 2026