Kosovar businessman Behgjet Pacolli has published photographs from Vlora Airport, claiming that since May 18 he and his company’s staff have been prevented from entering the airport premises, despite the fact that, according to him, the works were nearing completion.
In a public reaction, Pacolli states that the company he represents had completed almost all phases of construction of the terminal, infrastructure and technical systems of the airport, while the project was in the phase of cleaning and arranging green spaces.
According to him, he was prevented from entering the airport by “illegal groups”, which, as he claims, were also supported by state structures. Pacolli states that his company had invested over 310 million euros in the project and the only goal was to put the airport into operation.
The businessman points out that he has also won a legal battle in the Supreme Court, which, according to him, has proven him right in the main aspects of the case. However, he claims that he continues to be kept outside the airport and that the situation has not yet been resolved.
In his statement, Pacolli raises serious accusations against unauthorized persons who, according to the information he has, enter and exit the terminal premises, damaging inventory, taking materials and attempting to dispose of assets that do not belong to them.
He describes the situation as a serious threat to legal security and the investment climate in Albania, demanding the intervention of state institutions and a full investigation of the event.
Pacolli also states that he has been the subject of personal threats, while expressing concern about what he considers a lack of reaction from the justice authorities regarding the reports and evidence presented by him.
“I do not seek revenge, but justice, transparency and respect for the law,” he says, appealing for authorities to intervene to protect investment and guarantee the legal security of investors in the country.
Pacolli’s statements come at a time when the issue of Vlora Airport continues to remain the subject of debate and legal clashes between the parties involved in the project.
Pacolli’s post
Vlora Airport,
The terminal and surrounding buildings were completed, we were in the process of cleaning and decorating with greenery when on May 18th the doors were finally closed to us – and to our subcontractors. We could no longer enter.
Outlaw groups, with the help of the State Police, prevented us from entering an airport that we had built with dedication, professionalism, with over 310 million people committed and love for the country.
We just wanted to finish and get the airport operational. Everything was almost ready: the terminal, the infrastructure, the technical systems, the professional structures and the international management from Dublin.
We also won in the Supreme Court, which ruled in our favor on all major aspects of the case. However, even today we are told that “without the government’s will, we will be left out”!
Outside the airport that we built with hard work, dedication, and love
Yes… How are things going, really, so far,
Meanwhile, we have been replaced by groups supported by the interests of DARK GROUPS HELPED BY SOMEONE!
Unauthorized persons enter and exit the terminal, take materials, damage inventory, vandalize the premises and, according to the information we receive, even attempt to dispose of assets that do not belong to them and even sell the assets, without our presence!
From the moment I see the evidence that unauthorized persons, for more than five months, have been entering and exiting the terminal (to sell or illegally acquire it), without the presence and authorization of the owner, my soul aches!
That terminal was built with professionalism, with effort, with responsibility and at an extraordinary financial cost. That terminal also has a God! Every space of it bears the mark of the work of many hundreds of people and of an investment made with faith in the future of Albania.
Now these people are even deprived of access to and access to the tools and work instruments that have been blocked for months!
“We built it for the good of Albanians, with a lot of effort, sacrifices and money, not for anyone else.”
What is happening today is not just an injustice to us or to the company we represent.
It is a blow to legal certainty, to investments, and to the trust that every investor should have in the state and its institutions.
The Tirana Prosecution Office has been silent since September, without any developments regarding the reports and evidence presented.
During an interview at the Criminal Prosecution Office, I was told a sentence that worries me about justice in Albania, and I will keep this to myself until the day I publish my next book.
Today I appeal, in the name of the public interest, in the name of Albanian justice and in the name of the rule of law, that the competent bodies act before it is too late. This is no longer a private matter or a business conflict. This is a matter of respecting the law, of implementing final court decisions and of protecting a strategic investment for Albania.
I appeal for a serious investigation into all the actions of the groups that have created this situation. Not for revenge, not for conflict, but for the truth, for the law and for the public interest. Vlora Airport was built with love, with pride and with the conviction that it will serve the Albanian citizens and the development of the country, and not for anyone’s pleasures and interests!
I only ask for justice, transparency, and protection from the groups and gangs that, gradually, are not only attempting to appropriate our property, but are also violating our fundamental right to SAFETY, dignity, and legal protection.
I hope that state institutions will react, not for me (even though they threaten me) but for Albania, for the legal order, and for the trust that citizens and investors should have in the state and justice.