The Financial Police Administration has filed a new charge against ex-National Lottery head Perparim Bajrami. According to the Administration, through suspicious tenders to procure TVs and computer equipment for the National Lottery, a little less than 400,000 euros were embezzled, that is, the money was paid but the devices weren’t delivered.
Bajrami, who’s at large, is charged also in the other case, that is, the one involving, among others, ex-Deputy PM Artan Grubi, too. The new charge covers Kumanovo-based Ritron Copy’s owner, Ritron Ajruli too, who was arrested on Thursday.
According to numerous media reports, he’s a nephew of European Front Elmi Aziri [though VLEN said in September he was actually a nephew of Aziri’s wife]. Two other former directors at the Lottery are covered as well. They’re suspected of having received the goods that in fact didn’t exist.
Based on the charge, Ritron Copy won the six tenders, worth around 370,000 euros. With his signature, Bajrami, from 2022 to 2024, approved the payment of invoices containing false content concerning procurement of used TVs, printers, as well as computer and communication equipment, while those invoices had been prepared by Ajruli, in the capacity of company owner, according to the Administration, which also said the two suspects had done so even though they’d known that the aforementioned goods hadn’t been delivered in line with the models provided for in the signed contracts.
That way, Ajruli got 50,000 euros, causing financial damage to the Lottery’s budget. Over three other tenders, Ajruli and Bajrami, by using their close friendly relations, adjusted the technical specifications to procure TVs in advance, which enabled Ritron Copy to get around 211,000 euros, the Administration explained.
When it comes to the head of sales at the Lottery, he is suspected of having confirmed that he’d received 107 TVs to organise games of chance, worth over 81,000 euros, even though they weren’t found in the frames of the extraordinary inventory.
The other director, who headed the IT sector, confirmed he’d received printers and computer and communication equipment worth around 28,500 euros, the Administration also said, adding that they hadn’t been found during the extraordinary inventory either.
That way, it is pointed out in the charge, they caused damage to the budget of around 110,000 euros. The Prosecutor’s Office requested measures of precaution against Ajruli.