On Friday, Judge Lazër Sallaku of the Court of Tirana decided to close the case on the privatization of Albania’s transmission system operator OShEE in 2007 after “no criminal grounds” were the .
OShEE was bought by ČEZ Group, a Czech energy company. In 2017, the Socialist Party denounce the agreement between the Berisha Government and ČEZ as corrupt. They claimed it had damaged public interest by over 400 million euros.
The Socialists set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry led by Taulant Balla, and accused several opposition officials, including Ridvan Bode, Genc Ruli, Neritan Alibali and Enno Bozdo, as well as former ČEZ Albania director Josef Hysek and Shkëlzen Berisha, son of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
On December 27, 2019, the head of the Socialist parliamentary group, Taulant Balla asked the Court of Tirana to drop the case and transfer it to the newly formed Special Anti-corruption Prosecution Office (SPAK).
The privatization agreement between the Berisha Government and ČEZ Group was cancelled by the Rama government in 2014. Rama agreed to settle the ensuing dispute with ČEZ for €100 million and avoid arbitration. The opposition accused the prime minister of causing a €650 million loss to public interest by cancelling the company’s debts to the Albanian state.
