The Special Court of Appeals has upheld the decision to keep police officer Armand Marvataj in custody, following allegations that he accepted a bribe of 10,000 euros from Juxhin Koka. The bribe was allegedly given in exchange for allowing the retrieval of confiscated fuel in the port city of Durrës.
Marvataj had been assigned to guard the Tanzanian-flagged vessel "AYAZANOYBYA," which was seized on January 13 of this year with a cargo of 200 tons of contraband fuel. According to the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), the illicit extraction of the fuel took place in broad daylight at approximately 15:00 on January 27 in Porto Romano, where the ship had been anchored since its seizure under a court order.
Investigators from the Internal Affairs and Complaints Agency (AMP) and the Durrës Police conducted a thorough re-examination of the vessel, including a review of security footage from Porto Romano. The recorded footage reportedly captured the extraction process, in which the fuel was siphoned through a pump and loaded onto a tanker truck. Subsequent analysis of samples taken from the vessel revealed that the original fuel had been replaced with water.
This case underscores ongoing concerns regarding corruption within Albania's law enforcement agencies and the enforcement of anti-smuggling regulations. Authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the operation and any additional individuals who may have been involved.