Arbitration rejects Ismailaj’s request for 135 mln EUR through DIA

17/12/2015 15:25

Court of Arbitration has avoided the danger for a 135 million EUR to the
DIA company. The Court of Arbitration in Vienna rejected the request of
Kastriot Ismailaj to declare as invalid the agreement signed by his
former partner, Rebeka Gaskin, with the Albanian government and which
stated that DIA withdrew from any claim.

DIA is a tax-collecting company contracted by the Czech managers of CEZ, with the purpose to collect delayed fees that mounted up to 50%.

On January 2014, when the Distribution Operator interrupted its agreement with DIA, it was discussed as an instrument through which bribes were canalized for the highest officials.`

Right after this decision, DIA took the System Operator to the Court of Arbitration and asked 135 million EUR of compensation.

Kastriot Ismailaj, owner of DIA, was arrested for fraud. In 2014, Rebeka Gaskin, became administrator of the company.

Gaskin, a US citizen, refused to withdraw from the Court of Arbitration and signed an agreement which turned invalid any claim of DIA, including a 135 million EUR payment.

Right after this, Kastriot Ismailaj challenged the agreement with the claim that Gaskin has no attributions to act on behalf of DIA.

The case has withheld the authorities since the funds in question were 2% of the GDP and made a strong hit to the country’s finances.

But the Court of Arbitration decided to reject the request of Ismailaj, and declared as valid the agreement that rejected the company’s claims, signed by Rebeka Gaskin.

This court verdict notes that Gaskin was authorized to act on behalf of DIA, and, as result, the arbitration agreement that rejects the claims of this subject against the Albanian party is considered as valid and the case is closed.

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