The evaluation carried out by an internal auditor and persons within the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals, ICMM, found that the way that ore was extracted (as wet or dried) from mines was calculated caused a debt of 9 million euros. 

After several meetings with representatives of NewCo Ferronikeli, however, the ICMM reduced its debt to less than 2 million euros.

Data show that the board of ICMM that made the decision was appointed at least in part by Prime Minister Albin Kurti. 

He had met at least four members of the board before their appointment on December 6, 2021 by the Assembly of Kosovo.

The chairman of the board, Selvete Grajqevci-Pllana, in an interview for Kallxo.com on Tuesday, stated that the auditors findings were that Ferronikeli did not act in accordance with the administrative instruction of 2011.

“In January, we received a report from the internal auditor. In this report, one of the findings was also the case of ‘Ferronikeli’. The auditor conducted an internal audit in the Department of Finance and found that ‘Ferronikeli’ did not act correctly in accordance with the administrative instruction,” she stated.

Grajqevci-Pllana added that, according to the auditors, Ferronikeli had to report the ore in a wet state, and not dry, as this contradicts administrative instruction.

To address the auditor’s findings, ICMM then formed an evaluation commission which also concluded that the company had not reported correctly based on the administrative instruction.

“They [the commission] came to the conclusion that ‘Ferronikeli’ did not report correctly and owed the ICMM 9 million euros,” she added.

After this, meetings between ICMM and Ferronikeli started, with the latter filing a complaint about the findings.

The ICMM commission decided that the complaint was partially acceptable, implying that the company had in fact reported regularly, but only had to fill in the difference in the Department of Finance and Geology at ICMM.

Grajqevci-Pllana noted that the commission told Ferronikeli to repay only the debt from 2018 until now, while the administrative instruction came into force in 2011.

One of the members who decided to invoice the debt from 2018 was Gani Maliqi. 

On “Kallxo Përnime” on Wednesday, he explained the reasons.

“At the moment the transfer of control was made, the Department of Finance within ICMM said that Ferronikeli had no obligations towards ICMM,” he said 

“Reason number two is that the the Law on Foreign Investments states that you may go back five years, even with a debt claim, and the most important factor why Ferronikeli is not burdened with debt is that all those who worked earlier in ICMM knew that the declaration of debt is made on a quarterly basis and at the end of the year the debts are equalized,”  Maliqi stated.

Kreshnik Gashi, editor at Kallxo.com on Wednesday said that this situation demanded dismissals.

“This situation will not pass without ‘blood’, without someone being dismissed from their position, without Prime Minister Kurti coming out and telling us that he dismissed this official as responsible for this. 

“The first hunt is to find someone to whom we can point the finger and declare him guilty for what happened on the board of the ICMM, for the discussions, the demands that were made and for the lack of advice from Kurti’s government,” Gashi declared.

He added that the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, knew what was happening but chose to remain silent.

Visar Prebreza, editor at KALLXO.com, said that the law enables the ICMM to go back years when it realizes that it has made a mistake and enables the institution to collect its debts.

ICMM’s mission is to issue and administer all permits and licenses for mining exploitation, to carry out technical supervision of mining installations and plants, as well as to compile legal, safety and health regulations in workplaces.

The Ferronikeli metallurgical complex, located in Drenas, includes a nickel production plant as well as potentially rich mineral deposits.

For a long time, Ferronikeli was owned by an external company. In 2018 it was owned by Saimir Mane, a businessman from Albania.