Kosovar businessman Behgjet Pacolli has reacted to an investigation by Kapital regarding the dispute over the ownership of Vlora Airport. In a reaction on social media, Mr. Pacolli called the article unfair and distorted.
"It is unfair to create stories with insinuations. The article in the newspaper Kapitali is as distorted as it is unfair. I, together with the director of the company Mabco, the majority concessionaire of Vlora Airport, were at the Prime Minister's Office simply for a courtesy visit, where we informed about the progress of the works at Vlora Airport.
"It is not at all true, nor correct, to say that there was any pressure or request for the government to get involved, as some media outlets report. In fact, given that the airport is now entering a new phase of professional development, Mabco has begun the process of internal reorganization, which is related only to normal management," Pacolli writes on his Facebook profile.
This was Mr. Pacolli's first reaction. A few minutes later, he added a second reaction explaining why the parent company in Switzerland had decided to limit the sale of concession quotas, which according to him is a routine procedure related to the guarantee of loans taken out at banks.
"Taking the opportunity from a deeper reading of an article in the media, I want to confirm that the work on the completion of the Vlora airport is moving forward successfully and with the full support of the Albanian government! We can't wait to complete the airport on time to give Albania and its beautiful coast another destination. The decisions of the VIA shareholder are nothing more than routine procedures that have to do with normal processes related to the guarantee to financial institutions for the non-transfer of quotas as long as the loans taken or to be taken in connection with the development of the airport have not been repaid," concludes Mr. Pacolli.
Kapitali contacted Mr. Pacolli before publishing the article and asked him why the parent company had made a decision to limit a possible transfer of the concession. But Mr. Pacolli did not respond, so that Kapitali could reflect his version in the article.
However, in respect of professionalism, Kapitali is publishing the full reaction of Mr. Pacolli, fully understanding it. Just as it understands his two reactions on Facebook, which it was unable to summarize in one due to its haste. What it does not understand is why a shareholder decision was needed to limit quotas, when they are already encumbered in the loan contract that the shareholders have signed with BKT.
However, Mr. Pacolli "forgot" to clarify a small detail in his response. What does the sentence mean; Restriction of any transfer of ownership (past,...) and their registration in the Central Bank?
But we will leave this to time. In the meantime, Kapital does not withdraw its investigation because the information we have published is completely confirmed.
Editorial
