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Ilirjan Celibashi and the dubious tender scheme: How corruption continues to rely on the purchase of election equipment
Although under investigation by SPAK for corruption, for a suspicious tender involving 23 million Euros wasted in the purchase and installation of electronic voter identification devices, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Ilirjan Celibashi, has issued another tender with the same object. This tender has raised suspicions of abuse of public funds and may be part of a scheme to hide and waste money for personal purposes.
In the Public Procurement Bulletin dated July 28, 2025, Celibashi announced the opening of the procedure for a tender that aims to develop and implement software for electronic voter identification, adapting it to hardware devices.
The tender has a fund of 1 billion lek including VAT and has been divided into two parts, to hide the fictitiousness of the expenses, just like the previous tender.
A fabricated tender to pass quietly during the summer period
Celibashi has scheduled the tender for August 21, 2025, a period that is likely to go under the radar, as it falls between the summer holidays, when many institutions and services are on vacation. This was a tactical move, taking advantage of the period when the Central Election Commission and other leading institutions are on vacation, to conduct the tender without attention and in an easier manner.
Another justification that could be used for this tender, according to Celibashi, could be the need to prepare equipment for the partial local elections that will be held in some municipalities without mayors. However, this justification is untenable, as the CEC still has the equipment that was used in the May 11, 2025 elections and in the recount process for 80% of municipalities.
The fictitiousness of the tender and suspicious family ties
According to the investigations so far and the analysis of tender documents of this type, the fabricated tender is very likely to be a maneuver to steal money from the state budget.
Also involved in this process is Ejona Mediu, the granddaughter of Fatmir Mediu and Celibashi's wife, who is employed as his main assistant at the CEC.
Family ties are highlighted in this scheme, highlighting a situation that has the potential to undermine the integrity of the electoral process and create a possible erosion of trust in state institutions.
The next questionable tender after the May 11 elections: Voting supervision and services
This is not the only dubious tender that Celibashi has concocted after the May 11 elections. Another major tender was held on May 26, 2025, after the elections, and concerns the purchase of electronic equipment and services for the surveillance of video footage of voting and counting centers. This tender, with a considerable value, is suspected of being another opportunity to abuse public funds and maintain control over the electoral processes, giving him the opportunity to benefit through dubious contracts and agreements.
Violations and abuses: Damage that may be caused in the event of a SPAK investigation
If SPAK were to launch an in-depth investigation into these tenders and the violated procedures, it would reveal how state instruments and public budgets were used to support corruption and favor individuals with strong political and family ties. This would be an important step in understanding whether this is a captured system that could jeopardize public trust in institutions such as the CEC and other justice bodies.
In the end, this scandal will serve as a clear explanation of how the abuse of state funds and family ties have influenced the election processes and the development of institutions that should be independent and immune from corruption./ Pamphlet
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