Tirana incinerator case
Status: First-instance verdict reported; appeal decision of 14 May 2026 reinstating prison for Koka reported
Summary
The Tirana concession (landfill, incinerator and rehabilitation of existing sites, 30 years) was awarded on 31 Aug 2017 to Integrated Energy B.V. SPV sh.p.k. with an investment of about 128 million euro (Top Channel). SPAK placed the concession company under preventive seizure in Aug 2023 (Tirana Times, 8 Aug 2023), with the Dutch parent reported as later renamed Geogenix B.V. The Tirana Times article gives no arrest-warrant count.
The Tirana case went to summary trial. The Special Court's first-instance verdict (Telegrafi; date not stated in the article read) sentenced Lefter Koka to 2 years after a 3-year term was reduced under the summary procedure, and others to 2 years after reduction from 3 years. On 14 May 2026 the Special Appeals Court ordered Koka back to prison for the remaining six months (Albanian Daily News).
Key facts
- Concession awarded to Integrated Energy B.V. on 31 Aug 2017 (contract 6597 prot, date 31.08.2017, per search summary of SPAK documents; not opened).
- Council of Ministers decision dated 7 Dec 2016 gave 8% bonus in tender scoring (search summary; VKM number not found).
- Preventive seizure of Integrated Energy B.V. SPV sh.p.k. (Tirana Times, 8 Aug 2023); property worth 1 million euro seized (Tirana Times).
- Lefter Koka reported sentenced to 2 years (3 years reduced by summary trial) in first-instance verdict (Telegrafi).
- Alqi Bllako reported sentenced to 4 years by GJKKO (A2 headline).
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.
- Preventive seizure ordered and reported (Tirana Times). First-instance verdict reported (Telegrafi).
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationCorruption, fraud, money laundering and structured criminal group (SPAK charges as reported by search summary).
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.
- AllegationSPAK: Klodian Zoto and Mirel Mertiri de facto owners of the companies and used intermediaries to conceal ownership (Tirana Times).
- AllegationOpposition (Belind Kellici) claims Erion Veliaj and Edi Rama are real owners (opposition claim, Tirana Times; Veliaj denies).
Open questions (5)
- Koka Tirana sentence: research brief says 3 years covered by detention; Telegrafi reports 2 years after reduction from 3 years. Not resolved.
- Verdict date: research brief says 16 Apr 2025; a2 search snippet says 16 Apr 2025 was set as the verdict date; no opened article confirms the verdict date.
- Arrest warrants: Exit reports 12 warrants (Tirana and Fier); Shqiptarja headline reports 15 warrants (Tirana concession). The 6 house-arrest figure is not found in the Tirana Times article. Not resolved.
- Mertiri and Zoto Tirana verdict: no verdict found in sources read.
- Whether the Tirana seizure is still in force: not confirmed.
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Veliaj dismissed the opposition allegations as baseless (Tirana Times, 2023 summary).
- Veliaj said he went to SPAK voluntarily to testify (search summary, Apr 2024).
Figures
Money trail →Tirana concession investment (privately financed per Top Channel/Exit)
€128,200,000
Incomplete figureconcessionSource label: Under investigationStated definition: incomplete. Definition: investment figure for construction of landfill, incinerator and rehabilitation of existing sites over the 30-year concession (Top Channel: 128.2 million). Exit gives 128 million. Not the state effect and not the total over 30 years.
Date: 31 Aug 2017 · Payer: Integrated Energy B.V. SPV (private investor) · Payee: Ministry of Environment (concession grantor)
- Dutch company takes eco-friendly management of Tirana's urban waste (opens in a new tab)Top Channel · journalism · EN
- Special prosecution issues 12 arrest warrants over incinerator contracts (opens in a new tab)Exit News · journalism · EN
Minister's claim: 45 million euro paid for Tirana incinerator by July 2022
€45,000,000
Incomplete figurepaymentSource label: Under investigationStated definition: incomplete. Definition: payments to date as stated by an official in July 2022 (Faktoje fact-check, search summary). Faktoje's rating of the claim and the official's title are not confirmed from an opened page (page fetch failed, DNS error). Other reports in the same summary cite 35 million (May 2022) and 3.3 million for first six months of 2022.
Date: 27 Jul 2022 · Payer: Government of Albania · Payee: Integrated Energy B.V. SPV
- Faktoje fact-check on Tirana incinerator payments (45 million euro claim) (opens in a new tab)Faktoje · Jul 2022 · journalism · EN
Treasury payments to Integrated Energy BV SPV (OpenSpending, per Faktoje summary)
5,100,000,000 lek
Incomplete figurepaymentSource label: Under investigationStated definition: incomplete. Definition: total Treasury payments from contract start to the date of the Faktoje article, in ALL (about 5.1 billion). Faktoje converted this to roughly 43.7 million euro at the then rate (search summary). Not opened; date of snapshot unknown.
Date: not found · Payer: Treasury of Albania (Government) · Payee: Integrated Energy B.V. SPV
- Faktoje fact-check on Tirana incinerator payments (45 million euro claim) (opens in a new tab)Faktoje · Jul 2022 · journalism · EN
Seized bank accounts of Arben Ahmetaj
€124,300
seizureSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Definition: two bank accounts totalling 124,300 euro seized by SPAK in July 2023 (TI CEPI). Not directly linked to the Tirana concession in the source; the case field is an assumption and should be reviewed.
Date: 18 Jul 2023 · Payer: Arben Ahmetaj · Payee: State (seizure)
- Albania: Arben Ahmetaj, deputy PM involved in incinerators concession scandal (opens in a new tab)Transparency International CEPI · Aug 2023 · ngo · EN
Property seized (611 m2, registered to F.M.O. sh.p.k.)
€1,000,000
seizureSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Definition: value of property seized by SPAK as stated by Tirana Times (1 million euro). Owner entity F.M.O. sh.p.k. is named as registered owner; link to Zoto or Mertiri not stated.
Date: 8 Aug 2023 · Payer: F.M.O. sh.p.k. (registered owner) · Payee: State (seizure)
- Linking ownership of shell companies to fugitives: SPAK seizes Tirana's waste incinerator (opens in a new tab)Tirana Times · 8 Aug 2023 · journalism · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →Government
Tirana concession awarded to Integrated Energy B.V.
Ministry of Environment contract with Integrated Energy B.V. (30-year concession for landfill, incinerator and rehabilitation of existing sites). Contract date 31 Aug 2017 per SPAK document reference in a search summary.
SPAK
SPAK charges Arben Ahmetaj; TI lists his former adviser Artan Gjoka as involved
Transparency International's case page (updated 08/2023) states Ahmetaj was charged in 2023 in the Incinerators Affair and lists Artan Gjoka, described as his former adviser when Ahmetaj was Minister of Finance and Economy, as politically exposed and allegedly involved in fictitious villa and apartment sales. The page does not give the day of the charge.
SPAK
Special Court orders preventive seizure of Integrated Energy B.V. SPV
Per Shqiptarja (search summary): on request of SPAK, the Special Court signed a preventive seizure against Integrated Energy B.V. SPV sh.p.k.; SPAK says Zoto and Mertiri are de facto owners of it and of its Dutch parent (later renamed Geogenix B.V. per SPAK).
SPAK
SPAK preventive seizure of Tirana concession company
Preventive seizure of Integrated Energy B.V. SPV sh.p.k. and of Zoto's Integrated Technology Services; a 611 m2 property worth 1 million euro seized (Tirana Times). Tirana Times says the Dutch parent was later renamed Geogenix B.V.
SPAK
Erion Veliaj summoned by SPAK
Mayor Veliaj summoned by SPAK in its investigation into corruption related to the Tirana waste incinerator; first summons in this case (Tirana Times).
Court
Tirana verdict date set
Date set for announcement of the Tirana verdict (search summary of A2 article; not opened). Verdict content per Telegrafi, date not stated in article read.
Court
Special Appeals Court orders Koka back to prison (Tirana case)
Special Court of Appeal (panel: Ilirjana Olldashi, Nertina Kosova, Daniela Shirka) ordered Koka to return to prison for the remaining six months; partly overturned an earlier decision that had lifted the arrest-in-prison measure (Albanian Daily News). Other Tirana defendants' verdicts upheld.
Connections
defendant (Tirana)
Evidence: Telegrafi verdict report; Albanian Daily News 14 May 2026.
named in SPAK investigation of Tirana, Fier and landfill (search summary)
Evidence: Shqiptarja headline: SPAK investigation of Ahmetaj also covers the landfill and Tirana and Fier incinerators (not opened).
summoned by SPAK in Tirana incinerator probe
Evidence: Tirana Times, 30 Apr 2024: summoned by SPAK as part of investigation into Tirana incinerator corruption.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 11 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 8 sources
- Publisher
- Tirana Times
- Date
- 8 Aug 2023
- Publisher
- Telegrafi
- Date
- not recorded
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- 14 May 2026
- Publisher
- Top Channel
- Date
- not recorded
- Raport perfundimtar i auditimit te performances me teme: Incineratori i Tiranes (opens in a new tab)
- Publisher
- Supreme State Audit (KLSH)
- Date
- Feb 2025
- Publisher
- Tirana Times
- Date
- 30 Apr 2024
- Publisher
- Transparency International (CEPI case database)
- Date
- Aug 2023
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- undated
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 2 sources
- Publisher
- Exit News
- Date
- not recorded
- Publisher
- Faktoje
- Date
- Jul 2022
Source label: UnverifiedUnverified · 1 source
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- not recorded