Sarandë, Himarë and Ksamil: officials and police accused over unpermitted coastal buildings
Status: Mixed: some proceedings ongoing (2026 police cases); one court outcome reported as acquittal. Not checked against court records.
Summary
Several linked prosecutions concern unpermitted buildings on the southern coast. In proceeding no. 37/2024, prosecutors in Sarandë charged 11 officials of the ASHK and IKMT agencies with forgery, illegal construction and abuse of office over a seven-storey coastal hotel. Eight were arrested and three were sought. In March 2024 the Sarandë court released the 11 officials; a Top Channel headline describes them as acquitted.
In 2026 prosecutors in Sarandë registered proceeding no. 304/2026 against police employees for abuse of office and failing to stop illegal activity. The Police Oversight Agency opened proceedings against four Albanian police officers over a five-storey building in Himarë built without permit. The Himarë mayor dissolved the municipal inspectorate in June 2025 and again in August 2026.
Key facts
- Proceeding no. 37/2024 in Sarandë: 11 ASHK and IKMT officials charged; eight arrested, three sought (reported).
- March 2024: Sarandë court released the 11 officials (reported).
- Proceeding no. 304/2026 in Sarandë against police employees (search summary).
- Himarë: Police Oversight Agency opened proceedings against four police officers over a five-storey building without permit (Albanian Daily News).
- Himarë mayor dissolved the municipal Territorial Protection Inspectorate in June 2025 and again (Gazeta Tema headline dated 2026-08-10).
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.
- Court release of the 11 officials in March 2024 (reported).
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationAbuse of office, illegal construction, forgery by officials and police.
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.
- AllegationOfficials and police failed to stop or record unpermitted construction and in some cases allowed it to be completed.
- AllegationA forged engineers' document was used to legalise a seven-storey hotel (Shqiptarja headline).
Open questions (3)
- Verdict and whether the acquittal is final.
- Identity of the developers of the seven-storey hotel.
- Status of the four Himarë police officers and of proceeding 304/2026.
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Not found in retrieved sources.
Timeline
Full timeline →Other
Himarë mayor dissolves municipal territorial inspectorate (first time)
Mayor Vangjel Tavo dissolved the inspectorate after unauthorised building; reported as the first of two such decisions. Date from the Gazeta Tema summary.
SPAK
SPAK preventive seizure orders on real estate in Green Coast (Palasë), Gjilekë (Vlorë) and Kodër-Kamëz (Tirana)
Preventive seizure orders from the Special Court of First Instance dated 10 and 12 June 2026, covering properties linked to a company sale contract, Green Coast and Gjilekë real estate, and six properties in Kodër-Kamëz. Part of a drug-trafficking and money-laundering probe in which suspects allegedly invested in real estate and construction. Single news source; headline not retrieved.
Other
Himarë mayor dissolves municipal inspectorate again (second time)
Second dissolution of the Himarë Territorial Protection Inspectorate after unauthorised building was found; replacement structure unclear.
Connections
Mayor who dissolved the Himarë inspectorate (2025, 2026)
Evidence: Gazeta Tema report of the August 2026 dissolution and the June 2025 precedent.
- Investigation←IKMT (Inspektorati Kombëtar i Mbrojtjes së Territorit, Territorial Protection Inspectorate)Source label: Officially reported
IKMT officials charged in 37/2024 (Sarandë)
Evidence: Top Channel report on the court release of 11 ASHK and IKMT officials.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 8 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 3 sources
- Publisher
- Top Channel
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Gazeta Tema
- Date
- 10 Aug 2026
- Publisher
- Balkanweb
- Date
- 12 Jun 2026
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 5 sources
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- ABC News Albania
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- unknown