FLASH
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Investigations have revealed that former director Arben Voja, currently Director of the Fier Regional Hospital, and agency specialists have approved and rejected type "C" environmental permits.
The Fier Prosecutor's Office has completed the investigations and sent for trial the former director and several specialists of the Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër Regional Environmental Agency, accused of the criminal offense of "Abuse of office", committed in collaboration.
According to the prosecution, it has been proven that the defendants have acted and failed to act in violation of the law, failing to regularly fulfill their functional duties, despite the recommendations of the Supreme State Audit Office and internal audits of the Ministry of Environment.
Investigations have revealed that former director Arben Voja, currently Director of the Fier Regional Hospital, and the agency's specialists have approved and rejected type "C" environmental permits in violation of legal and sub-legal criteria, without conducting on-site verifications and, in some cases, in the absence of mandatory documentation.
Also, the application of different standards in decision-making has been observed, favoring some entities and penalizing others without legal basis.
Also, a significant number of entities equipped with environmental permits have not submitted mandatory self-monitoring reports, while the Regional Environmental Agency has not taken measures to suspend or revoke permits, as required by law.
Full announcement:
The Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Fier completed the investigations and sent the employees of the Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër Regional Environmental Agency to trial for the criminal offense of 'Abuse of duty' committed in collaboration, as provided for in article 248-25 of the Criminal Code.
At the conclusion of the investigations of criminal proceedings no. 1051, it was proven that the director and specialists of the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër, acting and failing to act in violation of the law, not regularly fulfilling their functional duties, despite the recommendations of the Supreme State Audit Office, internal audits conducted by the Ministry of Environment:
They have approved and rejected type "C" environmental permits in violation of the law, without conducting on-site verifications and without respecting legal and sub-legal criteria; some type "C" environmental permits were approved in the absence of mandatory documentation required by law and sub-legal acts; and different decision-making standards have been found, favoring some entities and penalizing others without legal basis.
A significant number of entities equipped with environmental permits have not submitted mandatory self-monitoring reports, while DRM-Fier has not requested the suspension or revocation of permits, as required by law.
The collection of annual environmental permit fees was not followed, causing economic damage to the state budget in the amount of over 3 (three) million lek for the years 2017–2019. It turned out that for 2017, 424 entities did not pay this fee in the amount of 848,000 lek, for 2018, 421 entities did not pay the fee in the amount of 842,000 lek, and for 2019, 702 entities did not pay the fee in the amount of 1,404,000 lek, thus not realizing revenues in the total amount of 3,094,000 lek.
In conclusion, the prosecution filed charges and sent the defendants for trial:
- AV, former Director of the Fier Regional Directorate of Environment;
- BF, specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;
- EB specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;
- EZ specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;
- EB specialist for environmental permits and EIAs at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër;
- VG, monitoring specialist at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokastër; and
- PT, finance specialist at the Regional Environmental Agency Fier/Vlora/Gjirokaster;
In the following, the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Fier expresses its full commitment and the legal responsibility of all state employees or public servants who commit criminal offenses against state activity.
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