One of the most serious phenomena in the “Bankers” file, investigated first by the Prosecutor’s Office of Fier and then by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, was the implication of some owners of the companies that signed a contract with the concessionaire, which absorbed tens of millions of euros, becoming more profitable than the parent company itself.
The investigations of the Prosecutor’s Office have revealed that the Albanian leaders of “Bankers” had created their own companies, with Albanian owners, cooperated and probably shared the money, while the same scheme was also used by the Chinese leaders, who managed to catapult their people to the head of some private firms. Both phenomena had the purpose of alienating the money of the Albanian underground, since in this way they did not pay obligations to the central, local government or to the residents of the area.
One of the names that appeared in this file is the 64-year-old Behar Çukaj, from the city of Fier, who is the owner of several companies, led by Bolv Oil, while the headquarters of this company is in the Marinza area, where the concessionaire “Bankers” also operates. For years, Çukaj’s companies have signed contracts with the company that uses the largest source of hydrocarbons in Albania, the Patos-Marinze oil field, while after the good fortune, his companies have already focused on construction, mainly in Tirana.
According to the documents, the Albanian government has cleared in recent weeks one of the next permits for construction in Albania, called “Kashari Center”, which will be erected at the entrance of Tirana, in the area behind “Casa Italia”, in the vicinity of two other complexes that have received permits. With an area of about 26,000 square meters, Çukaj will erect a total of 5 towers, 9 floors above ground and 2 floors underground.
More than a permit, the government’s decision seems to be a “reward” to this name, since although the name appeared several times in the criminal files, from the Prosecutor’s Office of Fier and later from SPAK, it still managed to get a permit and build. Various financial or investigative reports have come to the conclusion that dirty money in this country of ours is channeled into constructions, while the case in question should be investigated by these law enforcement bodies, which should tell Albanians if their underground wealth is going to constructions.
The documents state that “Kashari Center” is a residential and service facility 1 and 9 floors above ground and 2 floors underground, located on Kashari Boulevard, Tirana, with the developers “Kashari Center” sh.pk and Mr. Behar Çukaj. The company “Kashari Center” was founded in 2025 with the owner Behar Çukaj.
“The area where the proposed facilities will be located is located on the outskirts of the city of Tirana, in the area of Kashar, in an urban space, mainly used for residential and service facilities. The property is located along ‘Pavarësia’ street and Kashar Boulevard, in Kashar, and is close to the Tirana-Durrës highway. This enables the benefit of being close to one of the main arteries of the city, but at the same time it protects it from high traffic flow and noise,” the documents state.
According to them, the property to be developed is undeveloped land, characterized by low vegetation. The plot to be developed has a total area of 26,500 m². “New constructions and contemporary complexes have begun in the area, marking a gradual transformation of the urban face,” the document continues. In the model proposed and approved by KKTU, it appears that the objects are in regular rectangular shapes distributed on the ground, maintaining the distances between them. The entrance to the square is possible from its eastern, southern and western sides and is easily accessible from the three streets that border the square.
Browsing other documents also shows that the construction company “Kashari center” was founded by Behar Çukaj, 64 years old, born in Fier and living in Tirana. “Today, April 10, 2025, based on his free will and in accordance with the law, they decided to establish a commercial company with limited liability, which carries out its activity without a deadline,” the documents state.
So, a company founded only 1 year ago has managed to get a super permit, approved in 2025 and cleared only a few weeks ago. The object of the firm is the design and construction of civil or industrial buildings and the management of the implementation of projects of this nature for itself and for third parties. It also deals with economic activity in the field of tourism, through the establishment, operation and administration of tourist hosting (accommodation) structures and all services directly or indirectly related to them.
