Gazment Bardhi, the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group leader, has recently escalated his allegations against Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, by publishing a series of documents on social media. These documents are purported to substantiate previous claims that Balluku engaged in improper energy sales through the Albanian Power Exchange (ALPEX), allegedly favoring private interests and costing the state approximately 180 million euros.

Why is this important: The publication represents a continuation of accusations by the Democratic Party against one of the most powerful and efficient Socialist representatives. 

Context: Bardhi’s allegations focus on what he describes as a state crime involving the mishandling of energy transactions intended to benefit a few private entities at the expense of public funds. According to Bardhi, despite the law mandating that energy purchases be conducted through ALPEX, Minister Balluku allegedly facilitated transactions outside this legal framework, resulting in losses to the state and unwarranted gains for private companies.

Details of the accusations: The documents Bardhi released are said to prove that Minister Balluku authorized these transactions, breaching the 2015 Energy Sector Law. Bardhi argues that this not only resulted in financial damage to the state but also compromised the integrity of Albania’s energy market.

Response from OSHEE: While the minister has not reacted to the accusations, the administrator of the OSHEE Group, the Albanian energy distributor, refuted the allegations, asserting all energy transactions complied with legal norms. He accused DP of issuing politically motivated accusations against entirely normal procedures.