They allowed illegal constructions in a protected area; the Prosecutor’s Office sends the chief inspector and MITP inspectors to trial

The Sarandë Prosecutor’s Office has completed its investigations and sent five individuals to trial, including the chief inspector and several inspectors of the Sarandë Municipal Inspectorate for Territorial Protection (IVMT), accused of the criminal offenses of “Abuse of office” and “Illegal construction.”

The investigation found that in the Ksamil area, at a location known as the “Vivari Canal,” extensive construction was carried out without a building permit from the National Territorial Planning Agency and without a contract with the National Coastal Agency.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, MITP employees at the Sarandë Municipality failed to follow legal procedures, did not fully document the illegal works, and did not impose the administrative measure of a “fine,” as required by law.

The Prosecutor’s Office announced that the following were sent to trial: citizen A.M., chief inspector of MITP at the Sarandë Municipality; citizens E.Z., B.K., and V.X., MITP inspectors; citizen R.P.; and the legal entity “Laguna Invest,” for the criminal offense of “Illegal construction.”

Prosecutor’s Office statement:

They allowed illegal construction in a protected area in Butrint; the Sarandë Prosecutor’s Office sends the MITP chief inspector and inspectors, as well as those who built without permits, to trial for “abuse of office.”

The Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Sarandë has completed investigations and sent five individuals to trial, including the chief inspector and inspectors of the Municipal Inspectorate for Territorial Protection (IVMT) in Sarandë, for the criminal offenses of “Abuse of office” and “Illegal construction,” provided for under Articles 248 and 199/a/4 of the Criminal Code.

Investigations into criminal proceeding no. 416 of 2023 revealed that in the Ksamil area, at the location known as the “Vivari Canal,” construction was carried out in a protected area over a large surface, without a building permit from the National Territorial Planning Agency and without a contract with the National Coastal Agency.

The Vivari Canal is part of the “Butrint” National Park and has the status of a Natural Monument (NM) under Decision no. 303, dated May 10, 2019, “On the approval of the revised list of Albanian natural monuments” (updated), as amended by Decision no. 187, dated March 25, 2021.

MITP employees at the Sarandë Municipality did not comply with legal procedures regarding the full documentation of the works and the imposition of the administrative measure of a “fine.”

As a result, the following were sent to trial:

– R.P., for the criminal offenses of “Illegal construction” under Article 199/a/4 of the Criminal Code; “Occupation of land” under Article 200 of the Criminal Code; “Misuse of land” under Article 199; and “Damage to habitats in protected environmental areas” under Article 202/b of the Criminal Code.

– The legal entity “Laguna Invest,” for the criminal offenses of “Illegal construction” under Article 199/a/4 of the Criminal Code and “Occupation of land” under Article 200 of the Criminal Code.

– Citizens E.Z., B.K., and V.X., MITP inspectors at the Sarandë Municipality at the time of the alleged offenses, accused of “Abuse of office” under Article 248 of the Criminal Code.

– Citizen A.M., chief inspector of MITP at the Sarandë Municipality at the time of the alleged offenses, accused of “Abuse of office” under Article 248 of the Criminal Code.

“KORÇA BOOM”