Courts
SPAK charges Belinda Balluku with corruption, tender violations and money laundering
The former deputy prime minister appeared again at the Special Prosecution Office, which reportedly extended the investigation until January 2027.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 13:20 · Updated 12:22 · 1 min read
In brief
- Balluku now has the status of a defendant in the SPAK investigation.
- The charges include nine counts of violating equality in tenders, passive corruption and money laundering.
- SPAK is continuing to notify other people in the same case of the charges against them.
The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) announced Tuesday that it has notified former Deputy Prime Minister and former Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku of the charges against her. She is now treated as a defendant in the proceedings.
The charges include violating the equality of participants in tenders, committed in collaboration and nine times; passive corruption by persons exercising public functions and by senior state officials; and refusing to declare, failing to declare or concealing assets and private interests in two instances. Balluku is also charged with laundering the proceeds of crime, which reportedly relates to two real estate properties.
The Llogara tunnel and the Tirana Outer Ring
According to BalkanWeb, the investigation concerns procurement procedures such as the construction of the Llogara tunnel and several lots of Tirana's Outer Ring road, as well as the period when Balluku headed Albcontrol. She appeared at SPAK accompanied by her lawyer and, according to the same source, was informed that the investigation deadline has been extended until January 2027.
SPAK said it is continuing procedural steps to notify other people involved in the same proceedings of the charges against them and that further details will be made public later. Balluku is presumed innocent until a final ruling.
