TIRANA – Investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH), under the order of the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), have raided the offices of the Territorial Development Agency (AZHT) and the National Territorial Council (KKT). At the center of this high-profile operation is the Director of AZHT, Adelajda Roka, whose institution has served as the primary administrative “filter” for approving dozens of massive towers in Tirana and luxury resorts along the coast.
The operation is directly linked to the case known as “Aruba” – a joint international investigation with law enforcement agencies from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain – aimed at uncovering money laundering schemes involving international drug trafficking funds from Latin America channeled into Albania’s construction sector.
Permit Documentation Seized from AZHT Offices
As part of the court-authorized searches, the BKH seized complete administrative files from Adelajda Roka’s office related to the application, review, and drafting procedures for building permits that were subsequently approved by the KKT.
Investigators are focusing particularly on:
- High-rise tower projects in Tirana, especially those approved in recent years.
- Tourist resorts and villa complexes along the coastline.
- Files of beneficiaries granted “Strategic Investor” status.
Investigators are verifying whether AZHT and its director carried out the required legal checks regarding the source of funds of private companies before clearing the procedural path for these multi-million euro projects.
From “The Albanian Files” Accounts to Facing the BKH
SPAK’s action at Roka’s office comes at a time when her name was already at the center of public debate following revelations in the book “The Albanian Files”. In the book, prominent international architects described Roka as the key “mechanism” facilitating shortcuts between political power, foreign star-architects, and local businessmen.
Now, investigators are indirectly addressing the question of whether this facilitating “mechanism” at AZHT served either inadvertently or through breach of duty to legalize and certify investments funded by capital originating from organized crime.
SPAK’s Probe Expands Across the Permit Chain
The investigation into the “Aruba” file extends beyond the offices of AZHT. SPAK has signaled that financial and administrative scrutiny will also be extended to practices at other institutions overseeing territory and property, such as the National Agency for Territorial Planning (AKPT), the Albanian Investment Corporation, and the State Cadastre Agency (ASHK).
At this stage, SPAK has not announced security measures or formal suspect status for AZHT officials, but sources close to the investigative team confirm that following the analysis of the documents seized from Adelajda Roka’s office, public officials, agency heads, and construction company representatives are expected to be summoned for questioning. || Gazeta Albania
