TIRANA, Oct. 27 – A Tirana court has found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison a former collections company executive involved in a corrupt scheme to take money out the country’s electricity monopoly.
Kastriot Ismailaj, former head of DIA Shpk, was found guilty of deception and money laundering, charges tied to a contract signed between DIA and CEZ, the electricity distribution company. DIA would be in charge of collecting overdue bills from citizens. The abuse of the contract caused CEZ and the Albanian state as part owner of the company at the time more than 4 million euros in losses.
Ismailaj’s lawyers have announced they will challenge the ruling at the Appeals Court, saying they have additional proof in Ismailaj’s favour that the court of first instance did not take under consideration.
