TIRANA, Aug. 21 – The Albanian government has declined to give to prosecutors the proper documentation linked to the contract for building the Rreshen-Kalimash road segment from a U.S.-Turkish joint venture, according to the opposition Socialist Party.
Shekulli and Gazeta Shqiptare newspapers wrote Tuesday that the premier’s staff had allowed Tirana prosecutors to read the documentats but declined to let them photocopy them, based on a source in the prosecutor office which the paper did not disclose.
The prosecutor’s office was checking some irregular actions made during the tender and also ways of pre-payment.
“That is an intolerable act for the rule of law and a clear expression of the fact that the government has much to hide with this investment where patriotism has turned into an alibi of corruption,” according to Mimi Kodheli, spokesman of the Socialist party.
In October last year Albania signed a 418 million euros contract with a U.S.-Turkish joint venture to build a four-lane stretch of highway that will shorten the route to neighboring Kosova, in the largest ever infrastructure project in the history of Albania.
Bechtel International Inc., based in San Francisco, and Enka, based in Istanbul, Turkey, will build the 57-kilometer road segment, including a 6-kilometer tunnel, starting this month and scheduled to be completed in June 2009.
The funding will come from the Albanian government and other international institutions and banks.
The portion of the highway being built by Bechtel is part of a 170-kilometer (105-mile) highway to Kosova.
The completed highway will run from the port city of Durres to the town of Kukes and then to the Morina border crossing point, about 45 kilometers shorter than existing roads and will shorten the travel time _ which can now take up to six hours _ to two hours.
The current road, which has only two lanes, is full of potholes and winding turns, making it virtually impossible to drive at average speeds above 40 kph.
The opposition socialists called on the government to let the investigation work freely and also asked the prosecutor office not to withdraw from its duty.
“Durres-Kukes road should be the road of integration of the Albanian nation in Europe and not the road of the government corruption on behalf of integration,” said Kodheli.
