Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) has reportedly submitted a second request to Parliament seeking the lifting of MP Belinda Balluku’s parliamentary immunity, paving the way for her arrest.
According to the new case file, SPAK has added charges of corruption and money laundering, alongside the existing accusation of violating equality in public tenders. Prosecutors are also expected to renew their request for pre-trial detention and seek restrictions on Balluku’s travel abroad.
The development has sparked political tensions within the ruling majority. While opposition figures insist that a new request has been delivered to Parliament, Socialist Party parliamentary leader Taulant Balla has denied the reports, calling them “fake news” and stating that no such notification has reached the Parliamentary Council on Rules and Mandates.
The case follows Parliament’s March 12, 2026 decision to reject SPAK’s initial request to authorize Balluku’s arrest. At that time, lawmakers voted against lifting her immunity despite accusations related to repeated violations of tender procedures.
Why Is SPAK Accusing Balluku of Corruption?
At the center of the investigation is a villa located in the White Rocks Resort in Dhërmi. SPAK suspects that the property was indirectly acquired by Balluku as a reward for allegedly favoring the company Eurocol in a tender organized by Albcontrol, when she served as the institution’s Director General.
According to prosecutors, the property consists of a 103-square-meter villa, a 34-square-meter veranda, and a plot of approximately 300 square meters. SPAK estimates the alleged improper benefit at around €145,000.
In an official statement, prosecutors claim that Balluku used her public position to facilitate advantages for Eurocol and, in return, received the property as an unlawful benefit.
In addition to the original charge of violating equality in public tenders, SPAK has now accused Balluku of passive corruption by a public official and laundering the proceeds of criminal activity.
The case is expected to return to Parliament, where lawmakers will once again decide whether to lift Balluku’s immunity and allow judicial proceedings to continue without parliamentary protection.
