EU Anti-Fraud Office does not deny or confirm investigating on EU’s luxury villa deal in Albania

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – The EU Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) has refused to deny or confirm reports that it is investigating on the current alleged affair of a possible corruptive deal by EU Ambassador to Albania Romana Vlahutin for the purchase of a €1.6 million Euros luxury villa in Tirana’s outskirts.

Responding to Tirana Echo questions on whether an investigation had been started on the issue, the OLAF Press Office said:

“We are not in a position to reply to your question. OLAF does not usually issue comments on cases it may or may not be treating. This is in order to protect the confidentiality of any possible investigations and of possible ensuing judicial proceedings, as well as to ensure respect for personal data and procedural rights”.

OLAF also confirmed to Tirana Echo that their Director-General and the Albanian General Prosecutor Office recently “held a technical exchange of views on cooperation between their institutions. OLAF did not issue a press release on this matter as no public announcements were made and discussions were held at technical level”.

The refusal of OLAF to rule out any possible investigations on the EU non-transparent acquisition in Tirana, adds to doubts that the EU at all its levels, has been alarmed by continuing allegations across several Albanian and European media outlets that the EU Ambassador in Albania may have purchased a luxury villa with EU taxpayer’s money at double the going rate in Tirana.

OLAF’s statement comes as earlier this week, German CDU MEP Ingeborg Grässle who chairs the Committee on Budgetary Control at the European Parliament wrote to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini asking a set of questions on the EU luxury residence purchase in Tirana.

Ingeborg Grässle asked the EU Chief Diplomat why the Commission had paid more than double the price for a residence of an ambassador in the ‘Rolling Hills’ luxury compound in the outskirts of Tirana where the price per square meter varies between €1000-2000.

Asking the External Service to respond, MEP Grässle demanded that explanations be given on whether there was a public procurement process, how many offers were taken into account, and whether OLAF is currently looking into the matter.

Ingeborg Grässle goes further in her letter asking questions on possible irregular recruitment procedures at the EU Delegation in Albania adding to public allegations that several recruitment procedures have been violated in favor of relatives of high officials at the Albanian government being employed at the delegation.

So far, no condemnation has come from the External Service. Last week, the EU External Service Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic “the European Union expresses regrets on media allegations against the EU Delegation and its Head Romana Vlahutin in Albania. The EU confirms its support and has full trust in the Ambassador and the whole team for their dedication and professionalism”.

However, another German former MEP, Doris Pack while on visit in Tirana yesterday, said that she would be ‘ashamed if the EU’s expensive villa allegations were true‘.

“It is a shame for the EU to ask Albanians to fight corruption, whereas some of us are involved in similar affairs” – said Pack.

The Head of the EU Delegation in Tirana Romana Vlahutin has not commented on the alleged affair.