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"That Piro did us great harm"/ The wiretapping that 'sinked' the staff of the Agricultural University is revealed

2025-03-06 13:28:00, Denoncim CNA

"That Piro did us great harm"/ The wiretapping that 'sinked'

Another scandal that this time hit the university world and that essentially showed us nothing other than how corruption has now spread in its most brutal, metastatic form, even in the highest cults of knowledge.

This seems to be the case of the Agricultural University of Tirana. One of the most established temples of the academic world in Albania, where thousands of students receive lectures, in various branches, serving the agricultural economy to the cadres of tomorrow in zootechnics.

An educational institution that for decades has received important projects and subsidies, the provision of which was thought to take the quality of this university to another level, whose knowledge is of particular importance for a country like Albania, where agriculture, farms, as well as growing agrotourism, are in need of qualified students today.

But while this should have been the panorama of what the star that illuminates the Agricultural University should be, an action recently undertaken by this rectorate, in fact showed us not only the dark side of what the leaders of this institution and its professors are involved in today, but also their involvement in corrupt affairs, which do not befit their status.

But what is this scandal that was finalized with 24 arrest warrants issued by SPAK, and what is the involvement of UBT leaders and lecturers in corrupt affairs?

The show 'Në Shënjestër' on News24 has revealed the wiretaps that took place between businessman Piro Zoga and staff of the Agricultural University of Tirana regarding tenders, which SPAK suspects are corrupt, issuing several arrest warrants.

interceptions

September 15, 2022, 3:06 p.m.

Shpend Shahini communicates with Altin Murton

Shpendi: 'That Piro did us great harm. He didn't bring us everything'

Altin: 'Why?'

Bird: 'He brought the llamas.'

Altini: 'What can I say, man? We made a name for ourselves.'

Shpendi: 'Try, if we want to inform Mondi and the rector about this problem.'

But it seems that the shortages have not only come from the llamas. But also other equipment that was provided by the company 'Krijon' shpk. The company apparently in a hurry has also brought thermometers. A concern that also appears in the conversations between the Quality Manager of the Plant Protection Laboratory, at UBT, with pedagogue Shahini.

But also in the conversation she has with the company's administrator, Piro Zoga.

interceptions

September 20, 2022, 12.10

Piro Zoga talks on Shpend Shahini's phone with Aiten Berxolli, who introduces herself as the quality manager of the Aiten Plant Protection Laboratory: 'We received 5 hydrometers, when we requested 3 incubator thermometers, 3 refrigerator thermometers, which are the same thing, but we don't need hydrometers, we need thermometers.'

Piro: 'You need thermometers, I'll check the list because I'm not there.'

But it seems that Piro Zoga has also had frequent physical meetings with the rector of the Agricultural University of Tirana, Fatbardh Sallaku.

Meetings that, according to wiretaps, were held on the premises of this university, precisely during the period when the company 'Krijon' shpk had purchased the equipment that had been requested without competition from this university.

As is this meeting, which is held on September 20, 2022, where at 12.46 pm on this date,

It turns out that Piro Zoga not only called Rector Sallaku, but also met him a few minutes later.

interceptions

September 22, 2022, 12.46 p.m.

Fatbardh Sallaku communicates with Piro Zoga

Fatbardhi: 'Hello, don't leave without meeting me. Where are you, come on, I'm waiting for you, we should have a conversation'

Piro: 'I moved now, here I am going back again'

1:30 PM

Piro: 'Prof, I'm here. It's getting late because I have another meeting,'

1:32 PM

Fatbardhi: 'Come on.'

But the characters in this seemingly corrupt story, based at the Agricultural University of Tirana, did not know that they were being monitored and observed the entire time.

As documented in this episode monitored by police agents.

Where Piro Zogaj's driver is present, who enters the procurement office in the Agricultural University building empty-handed and immediately leaves with a sheaf of papers.

Investigation File

The surveillance minutes showed that on September 20, 2022, at 12:01, a vehicle with license plates AA 187 LA was found in the UBT parking lot, from which citizen Armando Kondaj, who is a driver at the economic operator 'Krijon' sh.pk, got off. This citizen was noticed entering the premises of building B, ground floor, in the procurement office. After staying in this office for about 5 minutes, he left there with some papers in his hand and got into the car, which he parked about 50 meters away, near an event, where citizen Piro Zoga was.

As if they were in their company, Piro Zogaj, after receiving the papers from his driver, heads to the rectorate building.

Where he leaves from just two hours later, to leave in the same car he arrived in.

Observation report

At 12:31, citizen Piro Zoga got into the vehicle with license plate AA 187 LA and headed towards the UBT Rectorate, and after getting out of the car he was observed entering the interior of this Rectorate, from where he left at 14:17, and left with the vehicle with license plate AA 187 LA, with the driver citizen Armando Kondaj.

But the conviction of the investigative group that they are facing a corrupt affair is also confirmed by the intersection of evidence and circumstances in which it is suspected that this criminal act was committed in collaboration. As is the fact that in the telephone number of the administrator of the company 'Krijon' shpk, in this case Piro Zogaj, procurement documents produced by the procurement office at UBT, as early as July 2022, are found.

So much earlier than this tender was announced open, which coincides with December of this same year.

Investigation File

On July 7, 2022, at 10:19, Piro Zoga sent the document titled 'UBT FBM Offer 24.06.2022.xlsx' to citizen Fatbardh Sallaku, Rector at UBT, via the 'WhatsApp' application.

Document with a list of reagents for the above procurement procedure that was prepared in June 2022 by the economic operator 'Krijon' sh.pk, while the procurement procedure was opened on December 29, 2022.

So it is clear that the operator 'Krijon' shpk with administrator Piro Zogaj, was not only aware several months earlier of the tender that would be opened, but had also started purchasing reagents before the tender procedure itself was announced.

This is where the connections of the administrator of this company come to light not only with the head of UBT, Fatbardh Sallaku, but also with the dean, Ilir Kristo.

Investigation File

On July 7, 2022, Ilir Kristo, Dean of the Faculty of Environment, sent the document 'UBT FBM Offer June 24, 2023' to citizen Piro Zoga, which contains a photo with a list of 8 items, materials/kits/reagents/.

He then sends a message to citizen Piro Zogaj:

'Hello Piro. The most detailed list of materials we discussed. Klm Ilir Kristo',

Piro writes: 'Is this the confirmed list? Should we put them in the order?'

Ilir answers: 'Yes'.

But as we said, the whole concern, after the equipment had arrived in Albania, was how it would continue, until the moment when there was still no tender procedure.

Meanwhile, time did not wait.

After the new laboratory at UBT had to be certified.

And the introduction of these devices into the laboratory without a tender could not have been done without the approval of the heads of the UBT rectorate.

interceptions

July 25, 2022, 09:52

Piro Zoga writes to citizen Ilir Kristo, acting Dean of the Faculty of Environment.

Piro: 'The materials have arrived, how do we proceed?'

10:03

Iliri: 'Hi Piro. I notified Shpendi and the Administrator. They will contact you. Hello. Iliri'.

But the storage of these equipment procured without a tender could not be done without the approval of the UBT Administrator. He, for his part, did not delay and on September 14th, he gave permission to Piro Zogaj to bring the materials and store them at UBT.

interceptions

On September 13, 2022, on the 'WhatsApp' application, citizen Edmond Tërthorja, Administrator of UBT, communicates with citizen Piro Zoga.

Edmond: 'How are you?'

At 2:44 PM, Piro sends him a photo, which contains a list of 8 items.

Piro: 'Sorry. This is Shpendi's list, should we bring it tomorrow?

Edmondi: 'How are we going to do it? We need them... and start the procedure for all'

17:16

Piro: 'I'm sending them tomorrow. Shall we take them to the warehouse? Or to Shpendi?'

Edmondi: 'I'll tell you in the morning'

On September 14, 2022, at 10:50, Edmond Tërthorja sends an SMS to Piro Zogaj:

Edmondi: 'I'm sorry I was late... bring it to the warehouse and I'll sort it out later.'

Piro: 'Ok, tomorrow morning we're taking them to the warehouse'/ In Target