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The Administrative Court of Appeal signed a lease contract a month ago for 10,848 euros per month for a 350-square-meter space in the “Aba Center” tower in downtown Tirana to accommodate its legal assistants and a portion of the files awaiting trial – a contract that was deemed “without economic logic” and was overturned on Wednesday by the High Judicial Council.
Through a request submitted to the Supreme Administrative Court, the Administrative Court of Appeal justified the rental of premises in one of the most expensive buildings in Tirana with the lack of space in the current building.
According to a request that BIRN has, the Administrative Appeal has hired 25 legal assistants on temporary contracts as part of a project to reduce the number of backlogged cases, but accommodating them in the court premises was impossible.
The court further emphasizes that it has conducted a market study, which resulted in the fact that premises that meet the conditions for exercising the activity have an average cost of 30 euros per m2. Through a letter signed by the Deputy President of the Court, Ardian Dvorani, the KLGJ was requested to provide a total fund of 8 million lek to cover rent and utility expenses for the remaining seven months of the year, divided into almost 76 thousand euros in rent, 500 thousand lek for electricity and 50 thousand lek for the water bill.
Official sources at the Administrative Court of Appeal told BIRN that the contract with the Gener 2 company for the rental premises had been signed a month ago and the 25 legal assistants were accommodated in the premises of the "Aba Center" shopping mall, along with the files awaiting trial.
Asked by BIRN about the procedure followed in renting the premises, the sources said that they had made an open advertisement along with the criteria, to which only the company Gener 2 owned by businessman Bashkim Ulaj responded.
During the plenary meeting of the High Judicial Council on Wednesday, member Gentiana Muçaj requested the dismissal of the request of the Administrative Court of Appeal.
"Acquiring a 350 m2 facility, with a monthly rent of around 11 thousand euros per month, not including utility costs, is beyond economic logic," said Muçaj, adding further that this contract did not guarantee the security of the files.
Muçaj also raised concerns that this contract could place judges in conflict of interest conditions and proposed that the Administrative Court of Appeals seek additional premises in a state institution or among seized buildings located near the court.
Member of the KLGJ, Albens Tabaku, emphasized the need for additional facilities for the Administrative Court of Appeal, a problem that, according to him, will soon appear in other courts as well.
Muçaj's proposal to dismiss the Administrative Appeal request was put to a vote and received a majority of votes, with the exception of Ridvan Hado, Klodian Kurushi and Tabaku.
The dismissal of the request by the Supreme Administrative Court of Appeal returns the Administrative Court of Appeal to its original position. A court official claimed on condition of anonymity that this would hinder the resolution of the backlog of cases.
“We have made repeated requests to the Supreme Court and the government to help us with facilities, but they have not given us any solution,” he said, claiming that the contract was concluded through a legal procedure, as many other public institutions have done. / BIRN
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