TIRANA, Dec. 18 – Independent investigation by local media on the US offshore company that managed to win two government tenders valued at almost 30 million euros through forged documents revealed oligarch’s Bashkim Ulaj’s Gener 2 company is behind the massive fraud.
On Dec. 3, after DH Albania – the official branch of the US offshore Dunwell Habermann now under investigation also in the US – signed a contract with the Albanian Road Authority for the construction of the Great Ring’s first lot, it decided to attain a second Tax ID Number located at the Eagle Roundabout.
A receipt deposited at the National Business Centre showed the application to open a new address at the worksite was made by a Gener 2 contracted lawyer.
Moreover, local media reported the DH Albania application is not the only existing proof among the documents submitted at the NBC that Gener 2 is the real beneficiary of the two separate 30 million euro tenders.
According to BIRN Albania, a close circle of five people who have acted on behalf of DH Albania are either Gener 2 employees or close associates of Ulaj himself.
Meanwhile, about one week ago Minister of Energy and Industry Damian Gjiknuri confirmed the start of criminal investigations both in Albania and the US against Dunwell Haberman, which was granted the tenders from institutions directly under Gjiknuri’s supervision, and said only the US will be able to tell who the company’s real shareholders are.
“Investigations will soon reveal who the real shareholders are, who created that company or relationships with other people …” Gjiknuri said at a press conference.
Ulaj is one of the most famed businessmen in Albania, one of the country’s richest and most successful in carrying out works starting from the energy sector to construction. In July 2018, Gener 2 was announced the winner of the concession for the construction of the Thumane-Kashar road, for a total value of 225 million euros.
Neither BIRN, nor the Voice of America – which was the first to cast doubt on the real face behind DH Albania – have been able to contact Ulaj while making these allegations, while ministry representatives have said it is up to the prosecution to reveal the ties between Ulaj and DH Albania, denying any knowledge of the affair.
“The matter is under investigation by the prosecution, which will reveal what has happened, those responsible for the forgery committed and offer all possible transparency for the company,” said media adviser Dardan Malaj.
