Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) has extended by three months the investigation into former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, citing the complexity of the case and the large volume of procurement procedures under review.
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As part of the procedural extension, former KESH director Erald Elezi and former Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) Director General Gentian Gjyli were summoned to SPAK to be formally notified of the decision. Both officials are considered by prosecutors to have had close professional ties with Balluku.
Investigation Expands
According to prosecutors, the additional three-month period is intended to allow investigators to carry out further procedural actions due to the complexity of the file and the number of public tenders being examined.
The investigation reportedly includes financial and asset-related inquiries. Albanian media reports that the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) has authorized a series of searches involving officials, business figures, and other individuals connected to the case.
According to those reports, investigators have also analyzed electronic devices seized during the operation as part of efforts to verify financial transactions, communications, and asset ownership. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the full results of these examinations, and the allegations remain under investigation.
Prosecutors have also reportedly requested information from foreign authorities through international legal assistance procedures as part of efforts to verify assets and financial activities outside Albania.
Previous Charges
Balluku was first placed under criminal investigation on October 31 in connection with the construction of the Llogara Tunnel. In November, judicial authorities imposed a travel ban, while a request to suspend her from public office sparked political and legal controversy, eventually reaching Albania's Constitutional Court, which did not issue a ruling because the required quorum was not reached.
The investigation later expanded to include procurement procedures related to seven sections of Tirana's Greater Ring Road. SPAK subsequently sought parliamentary authorization to arrest Balluku, but the request was rejected by Albania's Socialist majority in Parliament.
According to previous public statements by prosecutors, the investigation has since broadened to include additional allegations of corruption and money laundering. Albanian authorities have also confirmed the seizure of a luxury villa in Dhërmi as part of the ongoing asset investigation, while the judicial process remains ongoing.
At this stage, no final charges have been adjudicated by the courts, and the investigation remains active. SPAK has not announced whether it will submit a new request to Parliament for stricter security measures following the expansion of the investigation.