The US Department of State Report entitled “2023 Investment Climate Statements: Albania” is the harshest one ever reported. Corruption is mentioned 54 times in this report as the main
reason why youngsters are fleeing the country. Below are some passages from the Executive
Summary of the report.
“
… foreign investors perceive Albania as a difficult place to do business. They cite ongoing
corruption, including in the public sector, the judiciary, public procurements, unfair and distorted competition, large informal economy, money laundering, … as continuing challenges for investment and business in Albania.”
“Albania has a large informal sector and money laundering activities. The Financial Action Task
Force on Money Laundering (FATF) included Albania in its grey list in 2020 and the country
continues to be in the list for 2023 due to strategic deficiencies in addressing money laundering concerns. The business community reports that the large influx of illicit proceeds from drug trafficking, smuggling, fiscal evasion, and corruption distorts the competition in the market.
Allegations of corruption are common, and investors often report that they become the target of extortion by both public administration, media, and criminal groups.”
“Reports of corruption in government procurement are commonplace. Investors frequently report cases of government corruption delaying and preventing investments in Albania. The continued use of public private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including by foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors.”
1The EC (Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations) published in July 2023 the Screening Report – Albania2 which outlines numerous problems of the government and corruption score on top of the list as provided in the passage from this report:
“Corruption is prevalent in most areas of public and business life, including in all branches of
central and local government and institutions and remains an area of serious concern. Overall,
anti-corruption measures continue to have a limited impact in particularly vulnerable sectors
(public infrastructure, cadastre and property rights, customs, tax administration, education,
health, public procurement, PPP contracts, etc.). These sectors require targeted risk assessments,anti-corruption roadmaps and dedicated actions. Weaknesses as regards revising corruption-prone procedures and practices, internal checks and inspection mechanisms in the public
administration remain to be addressed.”
The report is widely circulated in the media as a blow to the government corruption record3
.
1 https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-investment-climate-statements/albania/
2 https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/screening-report-albania_en
3 https://dosja.al/politike/ke-ngel-ne-klase-shqiperine-re-raportin-screening-korrupsioni-shqetesim-i318211
The McGonigal corruption affair is a clear example of Edi Rama’s methods. Charles McGonigal was the Head of FBI Counterintelligence in New York when Edi Rama approached him and used McGonigal for attacks against the Albanian opposition while he was in duty.4 Passage from the New York Times article:
“While still at the F.B.I., he developed a relationship with Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania and took steps to benefit the politician, according to the prosecutors in Washington. Mr. Rama has portrayed himself as a reformer and as opposed to Russia’s war in Ukraine. But after his 2018 retirement, Mr. McGonigal worked the other side, on the payroll of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, once seen as a member of President Vladimir V. Putin’s inner circle, according to the indictment of Mr. McGonigal and another man, Sergey Shestakov, in New York.” Hundreds of international media outlets have reported widely about McGonigal and Edi Rama affair, ranging from New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN all the way to Euronews, Business Insider, Boston Herald and Washington Examiner. McGonigal is charged with several criminal counts and is facing trial in the USA. “A second indictment, filed in Washington, accused McGonigal of hiding payments totaling $225,000 that he allegedly received from a New Jersey man employed decades ago by an Albanian intelligence agency. The indictment also accused him of acting to advance that person’s interests.”5
Prosecutors allege that by August 2017, McGonigal had connected with a New Jersey man who was born in Albania and who had worked for Albanian intelligence several decades earlier.
McGonigal received at least $225,000 in cash from this former Albanian intelligence officer,
currently working as informal advisor to Edi Rama.6 Passages from the same Washington Post article:
“McGonigal is accused of taking money to advance Rama’s interests while some Western
analysts were raising concerns about Russian interests trying to influence the prime minister’s
opponents. According to the indictment, McGonigal encouraged the FBI to open a criminal investigation in 2018 into an American lobbyist acting on behalf of the Democratic Party of Albania, the main opposition to Rama’s Socialist Party. Some of the information against the lobbyist, prosecutors say, came from Neza and originated in Rama’s office.”
“McGonigal, while still serving as a senior FBI official, became a fixer for Albania’s Prime
Minister Edi Rama and his ruling Socialist Party. Albania is a staunch U.S. ally and NATO
member, but since Rama took over in Tirana a decade ago, that small country has become a
hotbed of corruption, plus Europe’s leading narcostate, with deep connections to Latin American drug cartels. Why the Biden administration turns a blind eye to all this remains a troubling
4 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/03/nyregion/fbi-intelligence-charged-albania.html
5 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/23/mcgonigal-deripaska-indictment-fbi/
6 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/13/mcgonigal-albania-deripaska-indictment-fbi/
question. Buying senior American officials such as McGonigal is part of how Rama keeps pulling
it off. The Albanian opposition is up in arms over this scandal, featuring a top U.S. intelligence
official serving as the fixer for the ruling Socialists. McGonigal made several trips to Albania to help Rama, including in September 2017, when the accused was still a top FBI official. While this trip had an official FBI purpose, its unofficial purpose was helping out Rama by bullying his opponents in Albania.”7
Edi Rama dined with McGonigal in several occasions in both Tirana and New York. McGonigal’s girlfriend described some of the extravagant dinners costing in the excess of $10,000.8
Edi Rama obliged the Socialist Party into not allowing the opposition to set us a Parliamentary
Commission to look into the affair. Edi Rama used the majority in the Parliament to vote against setting up this commission albeit this is a constitutional right. Some veteran journalists in the USA asked for the trial of McGonigal to convene in Albania instead of the USA.
“Albania is a country where McGonigal got rich without the FBI knowing anything about his
rogue behavior. And that behavior included cementing a secret relationship with Albanian
Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. The indictments against McGonigal, to which he has pleaded not guilty, include accepting $225,000 in cash from a former Albanian intelligence officer with ties to Rama. The payoff for alleged illegal services rendered came from the Russians or the Albanians, but probably both.”9
Several ministers and trusted friends of Edi Rama accompanied McGonigal in several of his
travels in Albania, including Damian Gjiknuri (former Minister of Infrastructure), Taulant Balla
(current Minister of Interior), Safet Gjici (Mayor of Kukes, currently arrested for a sexual affair
involving financial favors), etc. McGonigal was used to meet with Edi Rama’s allies as can be
noted further on.
Edi Rama bankrolled even the predecessor of McGonigal, the former Head of FBI
Counterintelligence in New York Mr. Louis Bladel. In fact, Rama used the State Budget as his personal bank account paying US$ 375,000 to Loius Bladel in a secret contract that was made public only years later by the State Audit.
10Many journalists reported that Edi Rama is using FBI to launch attacks at opposition.11 Several sources reported to Washington Post and other media that Edi Rama had numerous dinners with McGonigal and the former Albanian intelligence officer serving as an informal council for Rama in Tirana, New York and even in Washington DC.
7 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-albanian-shakedown-a-new-twist-in-the-fbis-charles-
mcgonigal-scandal
8 https://albaniandailynews.com/news/mcgonigal-s-ex-girlfriend-reveals-details-on-ex-fbi-official-rama-meetings-
9 https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/03/04/lucas-move-trial-of-fbi-agent-to-albania/
10 https://www.cna.al/english/aktualitet/skandali-mcgonigal-gazetari-njoftoi-gjashte-vite-me-pare-perfshirjen–
i350523
11 https://alfapress.al/english/politike/si-u-perdor-pasardhesi-i-mcgonigal-nga-rama-per-ceshtjen-babale-dhe-te–
i48609
“In the investigative file for Charles McGonigal, it is said that he met at least 4 times with Rama
and the latter met in the US with McGonigal. On one occasion he had dinner in New York and on
the other occasion in Washington. At the Washington dinner on March 4, 2018, in addition to McGonigal and Agron Neza, a former special agent of the FBI Lou Bladel was also present.”
12Several journalists reported that McGonigal had blackmailed businessmen and asking them for
money so that he could save them from being declared “non-grata”. “McGonigal is believed to
have extorted wealthy Albanians in a sort of protection racket where the bureau bigwig
promised to protect the oligarchs from U.S. sanctions in exchange for big bribes.”
13 A German BILD journalist based in the USA reported that “Rama used McGonigal against Berisha, the American justice documents confirm”
14The McGonigal case also revealed how the former DP chairman Lulzim Basha was blackmailed due to one of his misdeeds. On 06 March 2018 ‘Mother Jones’ online media published an article
entitled “How a Russian-Linked Shell Company Hired an Ex-Trump Aide to Boost Albania’s Right-Wing Party in DC”. The article wrote that Lulzim Basha had signed a contract with a lobbyist in the USA, but that Basha used a shell company belonging to two Russian nationals and that about US$ 500,000 seemed to come from Russian sources.
15The then head of Democratic Party (DP) Lulzim Basha refused the claim that he had received Russian funds, but while DP had only wired US$ 175,000 via bank transfers, his lobbyist Nick Muzin had filed in the USA that he had received US$ 700,000 for his services for Mr. Basha and that those money came from a shell company in Scotland. Mr. Basha could not explain the discrepancy and also had filed official documents stating that the DP had paid only US$ 175,000 for lobbying. Hence, the Public Prosecutor in Tirana started a criminal investigation (checking whether it was money laundering or illegal campaign donations not reflected in the official agencies).
16The investigation ended up in the court and Mr. Basha could not explain the discrepancy. The Tirana Public Prosecutor asked the US Authorities for the testimony of Nick Muzin but the Department of Justice requested on what capacity (eg. Witness or defendant) was the Tirana Prosecutor seeking his testimony. Meanwhile, as part of the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the US politics, Nick Muzin became a witness for prosecution in the USA.
17
12 https://www.cna.al/english/aktualitet/skandali-mcgonigal-gazetari-njoftoi-gjashte-vite-me-pare-perfshirjen–
i350523
13 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-fbi-balkan-scandal-keeps-spreading
14 https://politiko.al/english/e-tjera/gazetari-i-bild-rama-perdori-mcgonigal-kunder-berishes-e-konfirmojne-dok-
i475711
15 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/how-a-russian-linked-shell-company-hired-an-ex-trump-aide-
to-boost-albanias-right-wing-party-in-dc/
16 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/03/prosecutors-question-albanian-politician-on-payments-from-
russia-linked-firm-to-gop-lobbyist/
17 https://top-channel.tv/english/russian-lobbying-lulzim-basha-accused-of-falsifying-documents/
Journalists and sources in the Prosecution Office claimed that the US Ambassador then decided not to provide the testimony of Nick Muzin to Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, thus using this incriminating evidence to blackmail Mr. Basha. The Prosecution could not prove beyond doubt its case into the court since there was no testimony from Nick Muzin but only his official
documents signed in the US Agencies claiming that he was paid on behalf of Mr. Basha. The
prosecutor that had Mr. Basha’s case waited until the last day in office and he resigned from
office right on the day that Basha’s appeal was due. Mr. Berisha has repeatedly claimed that Edi
Rama closed the criminal case of Mr. Basha by exercising political influence on the Prosecution
office. Regretfully, Mr. Basha was blackmailed. Nonetheless, in September 2022 the US
Intelligence Authorities confirmed that Lulzim Basha had in fact received US$ 500,000 from
Russia18 and published the news in several agencies including AFP and BBC.
“An administration source familiar with the findings alleged that Russia had spent about
$500,000 to back Albania’s centre-right Democratic Party in 2017 elections and also bankrolled parties or candidates in Bosnia, Montenegro and Madagascar, according to the AFP news agency.”
19 An internal auditing of several finance and legal experts in the Democratic Party (DP) found that no funds came to official DP bank account and that no one in the DP apart Mr. Basha had any knowledge about this money. The Audit confirmed that the DP did not have any financial board to regulate donations and that Mr. Basha controlled by himself the flow of money.20
The Incinerators’ Affair – the theft of the century
The Incinerators’ Affair is the gravest corruption scandal nowadays in Albania. In violation to the
legal requirements in place, and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, the
government of Edi Rama refused to pursue public tendering procedures, but is giving some 430 million euros to three now-wanted individuals who presented unsolicited proposals for the construction and operation of incinerators, first in Elbasan, later in Fier and lastly in Tirana.
The three cities are less than 50 miles from each other and there was no feasibility study into why
do we need so many incinerators. Furthermore, the EC had paid almost 4 million euro to
prepare the Waste Strategy and Action Plan for Albania that did not foresee any incinerators.
The opposition reported that the incinerators affair is an act of corruption and identified several procedures that were ignored, starting with the avoidance of a public tender procedure.
Since 2015 the Democratic Party informed members of the Municipal Council in Elbasan about the incinerator in their city as the government kept everything secret. The opposition revealed that
18 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/09/report-us-intel-officials-believe-russia-secretly-backed-
albanian-candidate/
19 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62897570
20 https://www.syri.net/politike/580815/lobimi-rus-mandija-pd-s-kishte-bord-financiar-basha-kontrollonte-vete-qarkullimin-e-parave/
the government pretended to have completed 9 procedures (and 14 signatures) from different
agencies within a single day.
21 However, Edi Rama continued with his tune that the incinerators were his pride. He brought the whole Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party at the site of the incinerator in Elbasan in 2017 and considered it as “an investment we cannot help but to be proud of”. “You haven’t seen anything yet, because this is just the beginning,” the Prime Minister swore, warning the rise of the next incinerators in Fier and later in Tirana.
22The opposition started daily press conferences about the incinerators affair even asking the Prosecutors Office to reflect whether there was any tender, whether it is legal to pass 9 procedures within a single day, whether a contract would be valid if it includes articles such as “the contract cannot be void even if the recipient of the public funds fails to deliver the inputs foreseen in the contract”, and so on.23
The opposition and media added pressure by revealing that it was the same individuals Klodian Zoto and Mirel Mertiri behind all three incinerators and started detailing theis ties to the government. Even the Voice of America radio reported the story that the names behind the incinerators were the same and raised concern about the inflated costs of the projects. How did Rama react then? He attacked VOA, which he said spread “hostile propaganda”.24
In 2022 there was a Parliamentary Commission to investigate on the incinerators’ affair. During
his statement Edi Rama responded “They are my pride. I have followed the projects into very
details, I do not sleep on them”.25 Even when the opposition pinpointed to the facts that one is
not functional, while two are not yet constructed in a breach of the contracts, Edi Rama told to
the Members of Parliament:
“The construction of these complex works, there were problems of its own, Elbasan is a work that spoke for itself, the technicalities for energy have given other people here. Fieri has had other problems, as troops have been deployed to tell you to stop the garbage, the change of the country has been made, that these projects are one of my prides as prime minister, and there is no doubt.
”26The Prosecution Office that had the investigation into the incinerators’ affair ongoing since three years, finally concluded that the same individuals (that the opposition had told since 6 years ago) are indeed the real owners behind all three incinerators.27 The Prosecution Office has so far arrested the former Minister of Environment and on 01 August 2023 issued an arrest
21 https://zoom.al/investigimi-dosja-e-plote-per-inceneratoret-e-elbasanit-dhe-fierit/
22 https://lapsi.al/2023/07/16/inceneratoret/
23 https://5pyetjet.al/2022/08/26/ku-eshte-spak-pd-arben-kraja-sus-para-rames-per-inceneratoret/
24 https://lapsi.al/2023/07/16/inceneratoret/
25 https://newsbomb.net/jane-krenaria-ime-rama-per-inceneratoret-projektet-i-kam-ndjekur-deri-ne-detaj-nuk-fle-
gjume-une/
26 https://www.syri.net/politike/487540/mega-skandali-rama-inceneratoret-jane-krenaria-ime/
27 https://www.cna.al/aktualitet/spak-klodian-zoto-dhe-mirel-mertiri-pronaret-e-vertete-te-incenerator-i369357 warrant for the former Minister of Finance. There are about 400 individuals connected with this
affair as journalists reported from the Prosecution files, and it includes the name of Edi Rama, several of his ministers and the Mayor of Tirana as well. The investigation is ongoing.
“Now the incinerators are no longer acts of pride, but a job done in good faith, which those
below it have exploited to extract illegal personal gain. In short, the individual responsibility
variant is the last shield left by Edi Rama to keep out the great dirt of incinerators. Politically and
morally Edi Rama is the main responsibility of the incinerators’ affair. Not only because he sold
the Albanians the biggest band of thieves in Albania’s history as the team that would reborn the Nation. Nor because he was unable to understand that all these were stealing behind his back.
But for something too heavy than that. Destruction of the state’s anticorps. The Prime Minister himself has a large team Legal Department and a major anti-corruption Department.
Central institutions have entire audit departments, paid precisely to prevent public money being stolen and to detect abuses. But none of them did. The government that the prime minister has destroyed all the antibodies of the state. Just like a malignant virus.”28
Even BIRN is nowadays reporting the rampant corruption of Edi Rama’s government29
. It should be noted that while Balkaninsight started by Soros funds in the late 2000, nowadays it hasnseveral donors, hence and more careful fact check.
Corruption and abuse of the Albanian Government with EU funds There is a grave case of misusing EU funds by the Albanian Government just few weeks ago causing the European Commission to suspend funds due to serious corruption activities.
“The European Commission suspended Albanian agriculture funds due to corruption suspicions, the EU Delegation in Albania told reporters. The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) includes support for IPA rural development programmes (IPARD), and aims to help EU candidate countries develop their respective agricultural industries. The current IPARD III programme had originally earmarked some 112 million euros for Albania”. 30
The Albanian Government tried to downplay the decision calling it a temporary suspension
“European Commission has ‘interrupted’ payments to the Albanian authorities under the IPARD II agricultural scheme pending the conclusion of an investigation by the anti-fraud office, OLAF, while the Agriculture Ministry said it is part of an administrative process and asked the programme not be politicized”.31
OLAF was notified by several sources and had undertaken two fact-finding missions in Albania
prior to taking this decision.
28 https://www.oligarkia.al/virusi-qe-asgjesoi-antitrupat-e-shtetit/
29 https://balkaninsight.com/2023/07/31/timeline-the-crime-scandals-engulfing-albanias-ruling-party/
30 https://www.eu-ocs.com/albanian-agriculture-funds-suspended-amid-corruption-suspicions/
31 https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/albanian-agri-ministry-calls-for-non-politicisation-of-eu-funds-
interruption/
32 https://www.syri.net/politike/609926/voa-be-nderpreu-fondet-per-qeverine-pas-hetimeve-per-korrupsion/
In fact, the gravity of the case was soon disclosed and media reported appalling misuse of EU
funds.33 “EU suspends funds for Albanian agriculture, corruption is at very high levels”34
“The European Commission has informed the Government of Albania that it has undertaken
preventive measures based on preliminary information provided by the European Anti-Fraud Office [OLAF], following an investigation over corruption allegations during the implementation
of IPARD II [programme],” the Delegation told reporters. “Corruption in Albania is
widespread”.
35 Albanian media soon reported that EU funds for supporting Albanian agriculture had in fact
been used as grants for two wealthy Albanian businessmen to build private villas in the touristic coastal prime areas.36
Albanian media also reported that even the Incinerator of Tirana (gravest corruption affair in
Albania currently under investigation) has received indirectly 310,000 euros by IPARD funds.37 It was further revealed that the brother of the Agricultural Minister Mrs. Krifca was in business relation with the Tirana’s Incinerator company and had received about 50,000 euros from that company.
38 Again, in the Albanian Parliament Edi Rama forced the majority to ignore opposition calls for an urgent public hearing with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture on this affair.
Elisa Spiropali, another minister of Edi Rama, is also connected to the incinerators’ bosses. Her
husband, Salarjon Totaj (Director of Water Utility Company) awarded Klodian Zoto a 3.5 million
euro contract despite the fact that Zoto’s company was only established four months earlier.
While receiving 3.5 million euro, Zoto also got an official job as a “Councilor” for Mr. Totaj. 39
33 https://www.oligarkia.al/bomba-nga-brukseli-be-pezullon-fondet-e-e-bujqesise-per-shqiperine-per-shkak-te-
korrupsionit/?fbclid=IwAR2iyAWnz1bHfD9GsuTwT6AIZf7h99-ySlALFhr1mfaimlr_5sR1kc4VMqc
34 https://www.ocnal.com/2023/07/eu-suspends-funds-for-albanian.html
35 https://www.eu-ocs.com/albanian-agriculture-funds-suspended-amid-corruption-suspicions/
36 https://www.oligarkia.al/fondet-ipard-dy-biznesmenet-e-njohur-shqiptare-i-moren-per-bujqesi-por-i-investuan-
ne-vilat-private-ne-dhermi/
37 https://www.monitor.al/dokumentet-inceneratori-i-tiranes-merr-indirekt-310-mije-euro-nga-fondet-e-IPARD-ja-
skema/
38 https://www.oligarkia.al/310-mije-e-nga-ipard-te-inceneratoret-vellai-i-ministres-biznes-me-koncesionarin/
39 https://www.syri.net/kronike/613858/bosi-i-inceneratoreve-mori-3-5-milione-euro-nga-burri-i-elisa-spiropalit-
per-matesat-e-ujit-nderkohe-qe-edhe-ishte-keshilltar-i-tij/
Evidence of the government led by Edi Rama link to criminals Let us consider the very latest criminal case, which is not originating from Albanian Law Enforcement Agencies but rather from Belgian and Dutch Law Enforcement Agencies who handed over to Albanian Authorities some 18,000 pages obtained from encrypted criminal communications using secret system SKY ECC. As a result, six high members of organized criminal gangs were arrested in July 2023, albeit about 10 others fled, quite likely as a result of tipoff from the corrupt Albanian government agencies. Amongst the persons arrested were a head of an elite Police Department, the chief Prosecutor in a District and Pellumb Gjoka, a businessman with close ties to Edi Rama40
. The charges are no less than: murder, corruption, abuse of power, forgery, narcotic trafficking, participation in criminal enterprise, etc. Dutch journalist who is acquainted with the Balkans spoke to Belgium TV.
41Even Edi Rama is mentioned in the SKY ECC communications.
42 The Belgian TV asked about Prime Minister Edi Rama “Did he pass million of euros to criminal gangs? Two years ago, an
investigation showed that 60% of the construction industry and real estate are used for money laundering from drug trafficking.“
43Several of those members of the organized crime (eg. Pellumb Gjoka, Bajra gang and Tom
Doshi) were all denounced by opposition leader Sali Berisha as criminals close to Edi Rama,
stealing public lands and getting development permits by Edi Rama on those lands.45
Furthermore, Berisha denounced the same criminals (Pellumb Gjoka, Bajra gang and Tom Doshi) as terrorizing people in Shkodra city and buying votes for Edi Rama. Berisha told journalists on 16 May 2023 that “Crime changed the voting result in Shkodra: Pellumb Gjoka, Bajra gang and Tom Doshi were involved”.
46 Nonetheless, neither the police, nor prosecution office or any other law enforcement agency did anything to relieve the terror to the people of Shkodra. It was only thanks to Belgian and Dutch Law Enforcement Agencies who handed over to Albanian
Authorities some 18,000 pages obtained from encrypted criminal communications using secret
system SKY ECC that Pellumb Gjoka and few others were finally arrested by the end of July 2023, while about a dozen others criminals were notified and fled.
The operation “Metamorphosis” initiated by Belgian and Dutch Law Enforcement Agencies led to the arrest of Pellumb Gjoka, but about a dozen other gang members were notified and fled. The transcripted materials brought to the attention of the media several events in which he had
40 https://albaniandailynews.com/news/who-is-ex-police-official-arrested-by-spak-order
41 https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/07/31/albanie-sky-ecc/
42 https://www.syri.net/politike/613107/edhe-rama-ne-pergjimet-e-sky-ecc-gazetarja-holandeze-dicka-e-madhe-
po-ndodh-ja-cfare-zbuluan-hetimet/
43 https://www.standard.al/2023/08/01/operacioni-metamorfoza-gazetarja-holandeze-flet-per-televizionin-belg-ja-
cfare-thuhet-per-ramen/
44 https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/07/31/albanie-sky-ecc/
45 https://5pyetjet.al/2022/06/14/denoncimi-i-berishes-rama-i-jep-mikut-resort-me-letra-false/
46 https://www.syri.net/politike/593013/syri-tv-berisha-krimi-tjetersoi-voten-ne-shkoder-u-angazhuan-pellumb-
gjoka-dhe-tom-doshi/
pocketed police and threatened the police officers as he pleased
47There were communications
about organizing murders with killers that should do the hit regardless of the costs4849
. Belgian media also reported at length about the close ties of Pellumb Gjoka with Edi Rama. The Albanian (and later Belgian media) reported that “When Pellumb Gjoka was planning murders,Edi Rama proclaimed him ‘Strategic investor’”
While Pellumb Gjoka is suspected for murder, trafficking, corruption and illegal possession of
guns, he engaged in an active campaign to buy votes in favor or Edi Rama’s government and
cultivated a culture of terror in Velipoja, a suburb of Shkodra city. Edi Rama’s government in
return gave him the status of “Strategic investor” and issued a licence to operate gambling in a small hotel (albeit the law requires the issuance of such license only for 5-star hotels), and also the government would engage public funds to provide public services such as water, wastewater channels and electricity systems in the private development of Pellumb Gjoka allegedly in stolen land52
.
Encrypted messages that intercepted and provided by French, Belgian and Dutch Law
Enforcement Agencies indicated that Pellumb Gjoka was involved in several murders in Shkodra and Tirana. Gjoka also bragged about pocketing the head of police in Shkodra.
Pëllumb Gjoka: “They have the Deputy Director and Chief of Police, while he have the Head of
Organized Crime Department and we have the top information, which they do not know, and
you should not tell them”.
53 The Opposition leader Sali Berisha denounced the use of Prosecution Office as a puppet in the hands of Edi Rama. “This operation (Metamorphosis) is registered since January (2023). But this operation was postponed for July, only for the purpose that these bandits, murderers, traffickers,
rapists, be used against opposition and behave as conquerers in Shkodra (on Election Day on 14
May 2023).”
54Tom Doshi is another ally of Edi Rama who was engaged of procuring votes for the ruling
government. Mr. Doshi is pocketing more than 20 million euro each year from the generosity of
Albanian Government for the purchase of medical drugs. Mr. Doshi was a member of the
47 https://sot.news/aktualitet/zbardhen-te-tjera-detaje-nga-operacioni-metamorfoza-ja-si-behar-bajri-i603759
48 https://politiko.al/english/e-tjera/pergjimet-fundosin-pellumb-gjoken-plan-me-bajrin-per-te-vrare-gjin-ndoji-
i488366
49 http://www.panorama.com.al/te-jepen-para-se-te-kerkohen-vetem-vrasja-te-kryhet-si-u-fundos-nga-pergjimet-
biznesmeni-pellumb-gjoka-dhe-grupi-barji-pasi-ekzekutuan-shenjest/
50 https://www.syri.net/politike/612261/kur-gjoka-thurte-plane-per-vrasjet-rama-e-shpallte-investitor-strategjik/
51 https://sot.com.al/english/aktualitet/birn-si-investitori-strategjik-i-rames-u-arrestua-per-vrasje-dhe-orga-
i603167
52 https://www.balkanweb.com/metamorfoza-birn-investitori-strategjik-arrestohet-per-vrasje-dhe-organizate-
kriminale/
53 https://www.syri.net/kronike/613866/syri-tv-bandat-flasin-per-shefat-e-kapur-biseda-me-drejtuesit-e-policise-
qe-japin-informacion/
54 https://www.syri.net/politike/613505/video-berisha-ja-si-u-perdor-metamorfoza-per-fushate-elektorale/
Socialist Party (Edi Rama) but later procured a minor political party and albeit not in
government, has always been engaged in procuring votes for the government.55
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project wrote an extensive report about Tom
Doshi’s activities and ties with Edi Rama. Here below are some passages from that report which has been also echoed in several media in Albania, including the Voice of America – Albanian Service
.
“Australia’s top criminal intelligence agency suspected Tom Doshi, a leading Albanian
businessman and politician with ties to the prime minister, of leading a criminal group in the
country that perpetrates immigration fraud, drug trafficking, and money laundering.”57
“Tom Doshi, a powerful Albanian businessman and politician tied to the country’s prime
minister, is suspected of leading an organized criminal group implicated in money laundering,
drug trafficking, and other offenses in Australia, according to confidential intelligence
assessments.”
According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and reported by Voice of America – Albanian Service, “agent McGonigal has met Mr. Doshi more than once.”
In 2019 German tabloid Bild published several wiretaps which implicate Edi Rama in vote buying and blackmail. The wiretaps showed the extent of vote buying activities of the Socialist Party during the early elections in the municipality of Dibra on September 11, 2016, which involved not only criminal groups, but also state officials, members of parliament, ministers, and Prime Minister Edi Rama himself. Later in 2019, Bild released more wiretaps from dossier 339, showing Durrës mayor Vangjush Dako involved in a vote buying scheme with the Avdylaj criminal gang during the 2017 parliamentary elections. The 15 recordings released came from a different dossier, dossier 184/2016.
Those wiretaps shocked European public opinion, but Edi Rama released a Tweet in 2019 saying “I confirm this conversation and I would do the same again. Who has ears, let him listen.”
However, during another election scandal in 2021 (release of personal data of Albanians by his patronage scheme of intimidating public servants), Rama said that he had not listened to them as he was “disgusted”.
55 https://www.syri.net/politike/593013/syri-tv-berisha-krimi-tjetersoi-voten-ne-shkoder-u-angazhuan-pellumb-
gjoka-dhe-tom-doshi/
56 https://www.zeriamerikes.com/a/7208594.html
57 https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/influential-albanian-politician-led-organized-crime-group-in-australia-
intelligence-reports-claim
58 https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/influential-albanian-politician-led-organized-crime-group-in-australia-
intelligence-reports-claim
59 https://www.zeriamerikes.com/a/7208594.html
60 https://exit.al/en/new-bild-wiretaps-implicate-pm-rama-in-vote-buying-and-backmail/
61 https://exit.al/en/albanian-prime-minister-contradicts-himself-on-electiongate-wiretaps-attacks-journalists-who-
exposed-data-leak/
During the recent years, Albania is being addressed as the first European narco-state
“According to the International Monetary Fund’s definition of a narco-state, as a state ‘where all
legitimate institutions become penetrated by the power and wealth of the illegal drug trade’,
like Venezuela, Guinea-Bissau and Afghanistan, Albania is knee-deep in drugs money. A 2018 US Department of State report described Albania as a home of “rampant corruption, weak legal and government institutions and weak border controls” with drug trafficking, tax evasion, smuggling, and human trafficking the most profitable crimes in country. Drugs are big business here.”
62Metamorphosis operation showed that more than 300 officers of the State Police of the Leading Ranks are being verified by the Special Prosecution Office as suspects of links to the organized crime. In conversations on the SKY app, some police chiefs talk about fixed monthly payments they or their managers received from crime, for providing information on their targets, illegal activities such as gambling or otherwise.
“A EU-funded study, which ran from 2016 to 2019, found a staggering 20.7 percent of Albanians were offered money or favors in exchange for their vote. In January, it was revealed that cocaine gangs successfully rigged elections by buying votes. Afrim Krasniqi, head of Albania’s Institute for Political Studies, said the role of criminal gangs in the 2017 election campaign was greater than the role of political parties. “Today, there’s a general impression that nobody is able to win elections without support from such groups,” he said.”64
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s two interior ministers have both been discharged in
scandals linked to drugs. The first, Saimir Tahiri was found guilty for abuse of power although he
was charged with drug trafficking and corruption. Tahiri’s name was mentioned in a wiretap overheard by Italy’s anti-mafia police in connection with kick-backs, cannabis trafficking and smuggling Kalashnikov rifles. Tahiri was replaced by Fatmir Xhafaj, whose short stint as interior minister ended after his half-brother Agron was jailed for seven years for drug trafficking in Italy.
In July 2023, Edi Rama announced Taulant Balla as his cabinet new Minister of Interior. Taulant
Balla is the most outspoken politician for connection with organized crime. During a session of Parliament in 2018, from the rostrum of Parliament, the then head of opposition Basha accused Taulant Balla as involved into a trafficking case by means of “Toyota Yaris”. Two days later a “Toyota Yaris” vehicle was stopped in the Port of Durres (upon request of Belgian Authorities)and the police found 3.4 million euros stashed in the car. The case received large media
62 https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmpq89/the-inside-story-of-europes-first-narco-
state?fbclid=IwAR2GfsGibNO08-d4-3WKSxe3PKT8jZV7ObfvJ4M18yS2A9fM0y7kXZ5iUSI
63 https://boldnews.al/2023/08/03/300-police-nen-verifikim-nga-spak-per-lidhje-me-krimin-pritet-te-merren-ne-
pyetje/
64 https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmpq89/the-inside-story-of-europes-first-narco-
state?fbclid=IwAR2GfsGibNO08-d4-3WKSxe3PKT8jZV7ObfvJ4M18yS2A9fM0y7kXZ5iUSI
attraction, but Belgian Authorities were not pleased and suspected both Basha and Balla as
persons who had sabotaged the covert operation.65
Edmond Bego was a member of Lushnja Gang (Aldo Bare) and later moved to Milano. He was
head of an organized group trafficking drugs and was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment. He
came to Albania, where his prison term was reduced from 21 years to only 4 years through
some very dubious actions of judges.66 When Bego was shortly arrested in Greece in 2018, the
Albanian media picked that he was very close to Taulant Balla. Faced with numerous requests
from the journalists, Balla admitted to knowing him but not having him as a friend.67
However, data from the police reporting on border crossing showed that Taulant Balla had
travelled abroad with Edmond Bego 57 times.68 From those travels, 18 times were via charter
flight hired by Edmond Bego.69
The opposition and media noticed that Edmond Bego was proclaimed winner of several public
tenders reaching millions of euros in the constituency of Taulant Balla.70 It was revealed that Bego’s business grew 20 folds within 3 years since Socialists came to power.71 The police is well aware of Edmond Bego’s past and his engagement in trafficking and three years ago asked for an investigation into his finances.
72 No results were ever published.
The Municipality of Tirana (headed by a puppet of Edi Rama) even changed its urban plan to
please the interests of Edmond Bego. Under the original urban plan the banks of Lana River
would be expanded to prevent floods, but such an action would affect the financial interests of
Edmond Bego, hence his top friends influenced the Municipality of Tirana into changing the
Urban Plan in that part of the riverbank.
73A local gang leader in Elbasan accused “a politician named Taulant” as involved in the murder of his British-Albanian lawyer Ravik Gurra.
“After the 3 February 2016 massacre I never left the house. With the late lawyer Ravik Gurraj we
received the file of the 2016 event and there was also a high official named Taulant. We learned
that by the decision of the Elbasan court the wiretaps of the politician were destroyed. The
65 https://politiko.al/english/ditari-i-opozites/eshtja-toyota-yaris-basha-mberrin-ne-spak-per-te-deshmuar-para-
i453567
66 https://sot.com.al/aktualitet/italia-e-denoi-me-21-vjet-zbardhet-vendimi-pse-gjykata-e-larte-vendosi-4-vjet-e-4-
muaj
travel-with-him/
67 https://exit.al/en/mp-balla-speaks-on-relationship-with-convicted-drug-trafficker-were-not-friends-but-i-did-
68 https://lajmifundit.al/2020/02/03/balla-bego-udhetimet/
69 https://abcnews.al/salianji-balla-ka-udhetuar-jashte-shtetit-me-trafikantin-e-droges/
70 http://www.panorama.com.al/pd-nxjerr-dokumentet-biznesmeni-bego-fitoi-tender-100-milione-leke-taulant-
balla-te-tregoje/
71 https://top-channel.tv/english/dp-edmond-begos-businesses-grew-20-fold-in-past-20-years-thanks-to-
government-ties/
72 https://politiko.al/english/e-tjera/policia-kerkon-hetim-pasuror-per-biznesmenin-edmond-bego-i460825
73 https://www.droni.al/2020/02/03/kck-te-kape-edhe-ata-qe-zhvendosin-nje-lum-per-trojet-e-edmond-begos/
politician named Taulant called me and offered me help, but I did not ask him anything. “I don’t
mention his full name because my family is at risk,” said Capja.
74The media verified in court documents that indeed Taulant Balla was the politician that was
recorded discussing with suspected criminals over the phone and that a prosecutor (Pertef
Asllani) and a judge (Zamira Vyshka) in Elbasan had ruled on 17 February 2016 to destroy all the
wiretaps that had recorded the politician with the first name Taulant. Ardian Çapja said in the
courtroom that British-Albanian lawyer Ravik Gurra had seized those wiretaps and was killed
because he intended to publish those.75
During the election campaign in 2021 a conflict between supporters of main political parties
escalated into armed violence. The Prosecution Office revealed the names of persons
supporting Taulant Balla in Elbasan. Among them was Mehmet Greca. According to reports in the British media, Mehmet Greca has a criminal record. He was convicted in the UK of drug trafficking after being arrested in 2016 with 51 kilograms of cocaine and £80,000 in cash. The value of cocaine was estimated at 5 million British pounds.
At the scene of the crime was Also Gentian Sharra, a person with a rich criminal past, as a
collaborator of hitmen (Talo Çela, Nuredin Dumani etc.) in various robberies, including the one in Tirana International Airport. After the Socialists came to power, Sharra became the
beneficiary of public funds through his wife Olta Sharra’s company. Several million euros have
been awarded to his wife’s company through public tenders given by the Municipalities of
Elbasan, Librazhd and Cërrik (constituency of Taulant Balla) allegedly as a reward for the
assistance he has given during the Socialist Party’s campaign in Elbasan.
Opposition leader has nominated Sharra and the gang of Elbasan for procuring votes for Taulant
Balla since the 2017 campaign and that the two have had more than 50 telephone calls during
the campaign.
76 Sharra was arrested in July 2022 following the testimony of Nuredin Dumani (currently a
collaborator of justice) and Sharra’s assets estimated at about 5 million euros are currently
under preventive sequestration pending trial. While he is currently incarcerated, the company
run by his wife continues to “win” tenders in Elbasan regardless of the legal requirements.77
During the first days of August 2023 journalists reported about an illegal interference in the
Total Information Management System (TIMS) which keeps track of border entry and exit to and from Albania. Several journalists reported that this scandal is linked with Taulant Balla.
“Our police have turned into a nest of thugs who obviously have nothing to eat each other. The
latest wiretap dossier, involving senior police officers, confirms not only the extent of the
74 https://lapsi.al/2023/07/08/dritehijet-e-ministrit-te-ri-te-brendshem-taulant-balla-ne-lidhje-me-krimin/
75 https://lapsi.al/2023/07/08/dritehijet-e-ministrit-te-ri-te-brendshem-taulant-balla-ne-lidhje-me-krimin/
76 https://dosja.al/politike/berisha-gentian-sharra-e-banda-e-elbasanit-blene-vota-per-ps-i223908
77 https://www.reporter.al/2023/05/26/tenderat-e-gatimit-ne-spitalet-e-elbasanit-ushqejne-kompanine-e-lidhur-
me-krimin/
implication but also the depth of their criminal mentality. It is no wonder that the data theft was
done with criminal intent. And it is no surprise that everything happened to tell the truth of the
appointment of T. Face to the post of Minister of Interior. Personally, I believe this man was put
in this position with the intention of closing as many holes as possible in the renaissance sift
boat. First, block all the support that the police have so far given to SPAK (Special Prosecution
Office against Corruption and Organized Crime)”.
78 “Transfer of an individual from Information Systems Agency to the State Police as a Senior
Director outside the series. Only after some time is the mission of this task of its shippers
revealed. Download data secretly from the TIMS system. This serious offense has the minister or
prime minister shielded because he is not arrested, but simply suspended along with two other subordinates. Only after public pressure, this case is referred to the prosecution office. The “Metamorphosis” case files, shipped from Belgium, the Netherlands and France, speak of more than 300 police officers of different ranks as part of gangs of murders and trafficking. The mafia is fighting within the police system. Whom do they want to hide, whom they want to protect and whom to destroy? This was one of the reasons for the nomination of Taulant Balla as Minister of Interior. The cover-up of this grave scandal brings to memory the numerous allegations at the address of the new minister. Charges of knowledge and involvement in the criminal cases with names of the illegal underworld.”
AL in Sweden. 