The Kosovo Special Prosecution Office said that the mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, was interviewed on Friday, October 30, in his capacity as a defendant and is suspected of the criminal offense: "Abuse of official position or authority."
The Special Prosecution Office told Radio Free Europe that the interview of the mayor of the capital of Kosovo was conducted as part of the ongoing investigations into the criminal case "Architect of the Capital".
"The Special Prosecution is taking the necessary investigative and procedural actions in accordance with the legislation in force," the Special Prosecution said.
Rama appeared before the Special Prosecution Office for interview at around 1:30 p.m.
After the interview, he said that he is willing to cooperate with the Special Prosecution Office on this matter, and that is why he appeared at the Prosecution Office, emphasizing that "we are totally transparent."
"My job is the development of the capital, the construction of the capital, the job of the Prosecutor's Office is to know that everything is being done based on the legislation," said the first of Pristina.
His lawyer, Artan Qerkini, told the media that Rama is ready to provide the necessary clarifications to the investigating body, so that the Prosecutor's Office "can be convinced that everything regarding this project has gone according to the law."
The Capital City Architect Service was established in 2022 by the Municipality of Pristina during Rama's mandate, which provides for the drafting of architectural, urban and infrastructure projects for Pristina.
The municipality had opened a tender called "Consultancy for the establishment of the Capital City Architect Service", with an estimated value of 12 million euros.
This project was criticized by the capital's opposition and by non-governmental organizations that argued that there had been violations.
In 2024, the non-governmental organization Demokraci Plus had requested that the Municipality of Prishtina cancel the 12 million contract. The organization had claimed that violations had been committed during the appointment of the bid evaluation commission, as a person who was not part of the Municipality of Prishtina had been appointed to it.
According to the organization, there are suspicions of a conflict of interest since this commission member appeared as an associate of one of the winning companies, namely Anarch Sh.PK. The other winning operator was Ardi CC LLC.
While Rama was being interviewed by the Special Prosecution Office, the chief assemblyman of the Vetëvendosje Movement in the Municipality of Pristina, Gëzim Sveçla, wrote on social media that the Municipality of Pristina had paid him 1 million and 48 thousand euros for the services provided by the Architect of the Capital for October-November 2023. He said that the payment was made for consultancy.
He said that LVV had denounced the capital's Architect's Service from the beginning. /REL
