The alleged fictitious destruction of 130 tons of ARTEG kitchenware includes the head of Durrës Customs, Drilon Bushati, and deputy director Erald Delilaj. Sources from the customs system speak of a bargain of 130,000 euros, while the goods are suspected to have been destroyed only on paper. At the Durrës Customs, it is suspected that a bargain of 130,000 euros was made to cover the fictitious disposal of 130 tons of kitchen utensils of the ARTEG company. According to information conveyed by sources within the customs administration, the goods were removed from the records through a destruction procedure, although the destruction was not carried out.
The head of Durrës Customs, Drilon Bushati, and the deputy director general, Erald Delilaj, are mentioned for this operation.
The sources claim that 130,000 euros were paid to close the practice and that the documentation was completed to justify the disappearance of the goods from the customs registers. Suspicions of corrupt benefits hang over the way the proceedings were administered, although there is still no public evidence to identify the recipients of the money.
ARTEG, a company that markets kitchenware and household items, is named as the entity to which the shipment belonged. According to the sources, destruction documentation has been prepared for the 130 tons, while the goods are suspected to have received another destination. Part of the doubts is related to the possibility that they have returned to the market, outside customs control and without paying the corresponding obligations. A quantity of 130 thousand kilograms cannot be destroyed without leaving a trace. In addition to the record, there must be transport documents, warehouse records and records of the operator who performed the disposal. If these documents prove an operation that did not take place, then we are dealing with suspicions of falsification of official documents and illegal removal of goods from customs control.
The case of ARTEG has also been mentioned in previous media publications, where the suspicion of fictitious destruction has been raised. However, the complete documentation showing where the goods ended up and who certified their destruction has not been made public.
Drilon Bushati and Erald Delilaj are mentioned by the sources in relation to this practice, but their involvement in taking bribes has not been proven. The concrete responsibility is related to the orders, authorizations and signatures of the persons who managed the cargo until the closure of the procedure. The most serious suspicion is that the Customs of Durrës may have served as a cover for releasing 130 tons of goods into circulation, declaring them destroyed. In this case, the potential benefit is not limited to the claimed 130 thousand euros, but also extends to the commercial value of the dishes and the customs duties that could have been avoided. For the 130 tons of ARTEG there must be a record with the names of those who signed, the place where the destruction was carried out and the company that undertook the destruction.
If the goods have not been disposed of, they have ended up somewhere. If they only disappeared from the papers, the signatures on those documents can reveal who made the operation possible and what is hidden behind the suspected payment of 130,000 euros./ Pamphlet
