A months-long investigation by "Betimi për Drejtësi" reveals a suspicious process of exchanging a municipal property in Peja worth nearly 2 million euros. A decision that essentially directs this public asset towards the company Qehaja Group sh.pk, known for building multi-storey apartments.
A property that was turned from a "water region" into "construction land" by a decision of the municipal executive, for which the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MMPHI) says that these socially owned water properties (e.g. "Waters") are under their administration and that any action or use of them is illegal.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeBut, has the Municipality of Peja given away a property worth nearly two million in the service of a scheme devised for private interest?
On April 17, 2025, the Municipal Assembly in Peja had several items on the agenda for consideration. One of them was the exchange of a municipal immovable property worth nearly 2 million, with private owners, which is located on Konstantini i Madh Street, or as the property at the former Ambienti is otherwise called.
"We are moving on to the next item in order, the review and approval of the proposal of the Mayor for the exchange of municipal immovable property with the properties of private owners Shkelzen Gutiqi, Qehaja Group, Sh.pk, Raif Kelmendi with 6/7 and Ali Klemendi 1/7, for the purpose of public interest, regulating the riverbed", said the Chairman of the Municipal Assembly in Peja, Rexhep Kurtbogaj, at the session of April 17 last year.
On this issue, the opposition reacted against, demanding that this agenda item be postponed and not voted on, on the grounds that there is a petition from residents that the property be used for greenery and not for construction. The opposition also pointed out that the Mataj family lives on this plot, which has been in a legal dispute with the Municipality over this property since 2022.
Despite this, the municipal assembly voted in favor of the mayor's proposal.
"Then 17 votes in favor, 11 plus two by show of hands, meaning 13 votes against, with one abstention, this point on property exchange is approved," chairman Kurtbogaj concluded.
In this decision of the Municipal Assembly in Peja, the Oath for Justice has identified legal violations, from the time when the Directorate for Property - Legal Affairs turned this property from "water" to "construction land".
Suspicions of a "rigged" property exchange increase even more when we see who and how the properties were purchased in the area where the Lumbardhi River bed was planned to be regulated.
On June 3 of last year, the Directorate for Property and Legal Affairs (DÇPJ), in the Municipality of Peja, in a response to "Oath for Justice", announced that on October 25, 2019, it changed the designation of the parcel from Social Property "Ujërat" to municipal property.
According to the DÇPJ, the change in the purpose of the parcel was made with the aim of harmonizing the factual situation.
"During the time of the re-ambulatory in 1955-1956, the river flow there was natural and was registered as such - social property "Ujërat", but after the construction of the Lumbardh riverbed, that part was used by the NP "Ambienti" and was used for other purposes, not for the riverbed," the response from the DÇPJ states.
Further, the response states that after the removal and demolition of the building of the public enterprise "Ambienti", according to them, based on the Law on Construction Land and the Law on Local Self-Government and the Status of the Municipality of Peja, a decision was issued to change the destination of the plot worth nearly 2 million and several others.
"Based on the Urban Regulatory Plan of that time, as well as today, it is continuously foreseen according to the Zonal Map, as an area where high-rise construction and the regulation of the promenade along the Lumbardh River are allowed. All powers for changing the destination of these plots in the urban area according to the Law in force belong to the municipalities", the response of the Directorate for Property and Legal Affairs explains.
Oath for Justice has managed to secure several communication documents between the public enterprise KRU "Drini i Bardhë" and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.
This company had requested clarification on this particular parcel as to whether it could be under their administration.
However, the MMPHI's response dated October 9, 2019, states that based on the Law on Kosovo Waters, in Article 109, any water facility and equipment that has been administered by public enterprises and registered as an economic enterprise with the competent body, will be transferred to the administration of the Ministry.
"Based on the provisions above, regarding plots registered as P.Sh. Ujërat (Social Water Property), the competent authority for their administration is MMPHI and not KRU "Drini i Bardhë", states the document provided by Oath for Justice.
The same clarification was requested from this company during 2025 at the Ministry of Environment.
The ministry's response is the same. In fact, according to them, there is no legal basis yet for granting use of these properties.
"The MMPHI manages the properties and Water Resources based on the legislation in force, which still does not have a legal basis for granting them for use, compensation or sale, therefore we consider that any action or use of the properties is illegal," states the communication of the "Drini i Bardhë" RWC with the MMPHI, dated September 9, 2025, which was provided by the Oath for Justice.
