The Tirana Prosecution Office has launched an investigation into Minister Elisa Spiropali, her husband and her brother, who are allegedly suspected to be involved in an illegal money-making scheme and money laundering.
BoldNews had reported earlier that Solomon Construction– owned by Spiropali’s brother– had received several tenders from the Water and Sewerage Administration in Fier– a public company headed by Spiropali’s husband. BoldNews reports that prosecutors obtained the related information from the news portal and have started an investigation.
The High Inspectorate of the Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest (ILDKPKI) is also reported to have started administrative investigations into Spiropali’s assets and a potential conflict of interest, following the publishing of BoldNews’ investigation.
Media investigation into Solomon Construction company
About two weeks ago, Boldnews published an investigation into Solomon Construction– created in August 2013 by Enkli Spiropali, brother of Minister of State Elisa Spiropali, when the Socialist Party came to power.
In March 2014, Spiropali’s company won the first €6.6 million tender from the Fier Water and Sewerage Administration then headed by Salarjon Totaj. At that time Mr Totaj was Elisa Spiropali’s partner and she was the General Director of Customs of Albania.
After winning the tender, Enkli Spiropali sold his company to Marjus Memushaj, Salarjon Totaj’s cousin. The company went on to win several other tenders under Memushaj’s ownership and from the same public company in Fier, which was still headed by Memushaj’s cousin and Spiropali’s partner and later husband, Salarjon Totaj.
By September 2016, when Salarjon Totaj left the public company, Solomon Construction won several tenders with a total worth of about $350 thousand.
During the same time, Solomon Construction obtained public money through several tenders it won from the Fier and Vlora Customs, both under Elisa Spiropali’s direct dependence as head of the Albanian customs.
The investigation of BoldNews raises suspicions that Solomon Construction might have been used as a cover for public funds shared among families of Spiropali and Totaj.
