Brace: Imami abused with prices

MP Erjon Brace ranked a series of weapons that were sold with different prices. According to him, the difference goes up to 40%, hundreds of thousands of EUR damages for the state budget that go to the Defense Ministry Industry clients (MDI).

“The sales made by the Ministry of Defense were addressed to only two companies. ‘Montenegro Defense Industry’ and ‘UNIMESCO’. But the prices are different. The Ministry sells dynamite once for 305 USD/ton, and another time with 400 USD/ton. They sell “MDI” with 400 USD/ton and to UNIMESCO with “370 USD/ton. The Ministry of Defense sells hexogen MDI with prices that vary from 1000 to 15000 USD/ton, but they sell it to the Czech Plant only for 500 USD/ton. You can see the price difference. The Ministry of Defense sells to ‘AR Global’ on behalf of the Ministry of Defense and the veterans in Burkina Faso, the 60 mm mortars for 200 USD each. The Ministry sells to AR Global 82 mm mortars for 300 USD each, and to NF Belize with 230 USD each”, Brace declared.

Brace asked for explanations from the Minister of Defense, Arben Imami, for the different prices in the sales.

“I want to ask Minister Imami for the last time: Where did the money of the price difference go, in such an open and abusive affair. How are they distributed and to whom? These are the ‘communist residues’ that should be administered in favor of the state by the Defense Ministry, but that in fact are enriching unjustly their strategic, political and economic interests, by damaging the Albanian tax payers and by thickening the pockets of the Defense Minister clients and of corrupted officials who violate and humiliate the honest military men in that Ministry”, Brace declared.

Since the Defense Ministry had no reaction after Imami declared on Tuesday that their partner, the Serbian Slobodan Tessic, was on the UN’s black list, Brace said that Imami must answer for these consolidated relations with Tesic.

“Which is the reason that the Minister of Defense, Arben Imami, is not answering this time? He confirmed that the arms trade has only one condition: the partners should not be on the UN black list. He was caught in the act in a trade made with one person that was on the UN black list. Is he holding political and legal responsibilities in the Ministry? While is Imami staying silent? I understand that he is facing a difficult situation, but his only choice is to resign”, Brace declared.

Defense Ministry attacks Brace

The Ministry of Defense did not wait this Wednesday for Brace to make his next accusation, but attacked him with a declaration before his press conference.

The declaration reiterates that the arms trade is legal and most of the money are used to pay the Polican employees in Berat, the area where Brace was elected as MP.

“The Defense Ministry clarifies that the arms trade is a legal and useful activity that brings revenues to support the dismantling of old and dangerous ammunition. Different from the propaganda of the Socailist Party, we want to clarify that all ammunition are not used by the Armed Forces and their destiny is to be destroyed. 

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