Edi Rama has been in positions of power for 25 years and, in that period, several serious accusations of corruption have been made against him (including an OSCE internal report few years ago that revealed that Edi Rama had at that time about 200 millioneuros). However, in this report we shall only focus on the lastyears’ affairs, as there are quite abundant.
The US Department of State Report entitled “2023 Investment Climate Statements: Albania” is the harshest one ever produced. Corruption is mentioned 54 times in this report as the mainreason why Albania’s youth 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 publicsector, the judiciary, public procurements, unfair and distortedcompetition, large informal economy, money laundering, … ascontinuing 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 countrycontinues 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 drugtrafficking, smuggling, fiscal evasion, and corruption distorts thecompetition in the market.
Allegations of corruption are common, and investors often report that they become the target of extortion by both publicadministration, 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. Thecontinued use of public private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including by foreigninvestors, in infrastructure and other sectors.” 1
The EC (Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations) published in July 2023 the Screening Report – Albania2 which outlined numerous problems of thegovernment, while corruption scored on top of the list, asprovided 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, cadastreand property rights, customs, tax administration, education,health, public procurement, PPP contracts, etc.). These sectorsrequire targeted risk assessments, anti-corruption roadmaps and dedicated actions. Weaknesses as regards revising corruption-prone procedures and practices, internal checks and inspectionmechanisms in the public
administration remain to be addressed.”
The report is widely circulated in the media as a blow to thegovernment corruption record3.
1 https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-investment-climate-statements/albania/
2 https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/screening-report-albania_en
The McGonigal corruption affair is a clear example of Edi Rama’s methods. Charles McGonigal was the Head of FBICounterintelligence in New York when Edi Rama approachedhim and used McGonigal for attacks against the Albanian opposition while he was in duty.4 Passage from the New YorkTimes article:
“While still at the F.B.I., he developed a relationship with Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania and took steps to benefit thepolitician, according to the prosecutors in Washington. Mr. Ramahas 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 Russianoligarch, 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 NewYork.”
Hundreds of international media outlets have reported widelyabout the McGonigal and Edi Rama affair, ranging from New York Times, Washington Post, the New York Post and CNN all the way to Euronews, Business Insider, Boston Herald and Washington Examiner. McGonigal is charged with severalcriminal counts and is facing trial in the USA on two cases, the Russian and the Albanian ones. He pled guilty to the charges in the Oleg Deripaska case.
“A second indictment, filed in Washington, accused McGonigalof hiding payments totaling
$225,000 that he allegedly received from a New Jersey manemployed 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 hadconnected 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 informaladvisor to Edi Rama.6 Passages from the same Washington Postarticle state:
“McGonigal is accused of taking money to advance Rama’s interests while some Western analysts were raising concernsabout Russian interests trying to influence the prime minister’sopponents. According to the indictment, McGonigal encouraged the FBI to open a criminal investigation in 2018 into anAmerican lobbyist acting on behalf of the Democratic Party of
Albania, the main opposition to Rama’s Socialist Party. Some ofthe information against the lobbyist, prosecutors say, came fromNeza 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 leadingnarcostate, with deep connections to Latin American drugcartels. Why the Biden administration turns a blind eye to all thisremains 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/
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. intelligenceofficial serving as the fixer for the ruling Socialists. McGonigal made several trips to Albania to help Rama, including inSeptember 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 on several occasions in bothTirana and New York. McGonigal’s girlfriend described some of the extravagant dinners costing in the excess of $10,000.8
Edi Rama obligated the Socialist Party to intervene and prevent the opposition to set up a Parliamentary Commission to look intothe affair. Edi Rama used the majority in Parliament to voteagainst setting up this commission albeit this is a constitutional right. Some veteran journalists in the USA asked for the trial ofMcGonigal 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 $225,000 in cash from a former Albanian intelligence officer with ties to Rama. The payoff for alleged illegal services rendered came from the Russians or the Albanians, but probably both.”9
Several ministers and trusted friends of Edi Rama accompanied McGonigal on several of his travels in Albania, including Damian Gjiknuri (former Minister of Infrastructure), Taulant Balla(current Minister of Interior), Safet Gjici (Mayor of Kukes, currently arrested for a sexual affair involving financial favors), and many others. McGonigal was used to meet with Edi Rama’s allies as can be noted further on.
Edi Rama bankrolled even the predecessor of McGonigal, the former Head of FBI Counterintelligence in New York Mr. Louis Bladel. In fact, Rama used the State Budget as his personal bankaccount paying US$ 375,000 to Loius Bladel in a secret contractthat was made public only years later by the State Audit.10
Many journalists reported that Edi Rama is using FBI to launch attacks towards the 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.
7https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-albanian-shakedown-a-new-twist-in-the-fbis-charles- mcgonigal-scandal
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 withMcGonigal. On one occasion he had dinner in New York and onthe other occasion in Washington. At the Washington dinner on March 4, 2018, in addition to McGonigal and Agron Neza, aformer special agent of the FBI Lou Bladel was also present.”12
Several journalists reported that McGonigal had blackmailed businessmen, asking them for money so that he could save them from being declared “persona 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 BILDjournalist based in the USA reported that “Rama used McGonigalagainst Berisha, the American justice documents confirm”14
The 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 articleentitled “How a Russian-Linked Shell Company Hired an Ex-Trump Aide to Boost Albania’s Right- Wing Party in DC”. The article explained how Lulzim Basha had signed a contract with a lobbyist in the USA, and used a shell company belonging to two Russian nationals and that about US$ 500,000 seemed to comefrom Russian sources.15
The 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 NickMuzin had filed in the USA that he had received US$ 700,000 for the services provided to Mr. Basha and that that money came from a shell company in Scotland. Mr. Basha could not explain the discrepancy and also had filed official documents stating thatthe 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).16
The investigation ended up in court and Mr. Basha could not explain the discrepancy. The Tirana Public Prosecutor asked the US Authorities for the testimony of Nick Muzin. The Department of Justice requested on what capacity (eg. Witness or defendant) was the Tirana Prosecutor seeking his testimony. Meanwhile, aspart of the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the USpolitics, Nick Muzin became a witness for the 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 the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, thus using thisincriminating evidence to blackmail Mr. Basha. The Prosecution could not prove beyond doubt its case to 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 daythat Basha’s appeal was due. Mr. Berisha has repeatedly claimedthat 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 Russia18and published the news in several agencies including AFP andBBC.
“An administration source familiar with the findings alleged thatRussia had spent about $500,000 to back Albania’s centre-rightDemocratic 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 anyknowledge about this money. The Audit confirmed that the DP did not have any financial board to regulate donations and thatMr. Basha himself controlled 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 Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU, the government of Edi Rama refused to pursue public tendering procedures, Instead, it 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 feasibilitystudy into why there was a need for so many incinerators. Furthermore, the EC had paid almost 4 million euro to preparethe Waste Strategy and Action Plan for Albania that did notforesee any incinerators.
The opposition denounced that the incinerators affair is an act ofcorruption and identified several procedures that were ignored, starting with the avoidance of a public tender procedure. Since2015 the Democratic Party informed members of the Municipal Council in Elbasan about the incinerator in their city as thegovernment 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 (and14 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 2017and considered it as “an investment we cannot help but be proud of”. “You haven’t seen anything yet, because this is just the beginning,” the Prime Minister promised, warning the rise of the next incinerators in Fier and later in Tirana.22
The 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 9procedures within a single day, whether a contract would be validif it includes articles such as “the contract cannot be void even if the recipient of the public funds fails to deliver the inputsforeseen 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 their ties to thegovernment. Even the Voice of America radio reported the story that the names behind the incinerators were the same and raisedconcern about the inflated costs of the projects. How did Ramareact then? He attacked VOA, which he said spread “hostilepropaganda”.24
In 2022, there was a Parliamentary Commission to investigate onthe 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 tothe Members of Parliament:
“The construction of these complex works has had its own problems. Elbasan is a work that speaks for itself, whosetechnicalities for energy have been given by other people here. Fieri has had other problems, as troops have been deployed to tell them to stop with the garbage. The change of the country has been made. These projects are one of my prides as prime minister, and there is no doubt.”26
The Prosecution Office that had the investigation into theincinerators’ affair ongoing for three years, finally concluded that the same individuals (that the opposition has been saying for 6years ago) are indeed the real owners behind all three incinerators.27 The Prosecution Office has so far arrested theformer Minister of Environment and on 01 August 2023 issued anarrest warrant for
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/
the former Minister of Finance. There are about 400 individualsconnected with this affair as journalists reported based on the Prosecution files, and it includes the name of Edi Rama, severalof his ministers and the Mayor of Tirana as well. Theinvestigation is ongoing.
“Now the incinerators are no longer acts of pride, but a job done in good faith, which those below Rama have exploited to extract illegal personal gain. In short, the individual responsibilityvariant is the last shield left by Edi Rama to keep out the greatdirt of incinerators. Politically and morally Edi Rama is the main responsible for the incinerators’ affair. Not only because he soldthe Albanians the biggest band of thieves in Albania’s history as the team that would bring the renaissance of the Nation. Norbecause he was unable to understand that all these people close to him were stealing behind his back.
But for something graver than that. The destruction of the state’santibodies. The Prime Minister himself has a large team in theLegal 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 leads has had all the antibodies of the state destroyed. Just like amalignant virus.”28
Even BIRN is nowadays reporting the rampant corruption of Edi Rama’s government29. It should be noted that while Balkan Insight started by Soros funds in the late 2000, nowadays it hasseveral donors, and more careful fact checking.
Corruption and abuse of the Albanian Government with EUfunds
There is a grave case of misusing EU funds by the Albanian Government, reported just a few weeks ago, causing theEuropean 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 forAlbania”. 30
The Albanian Government tried to downplay the decision calling it a temporary suspension. “European Commission has‘interrupted’ payments to the Albanian authorities under theIPARD 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 processand 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.32
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/
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-FraudOffice [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 twowealthy Albanian businessmen to build private villas in thetouristic 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 relations with Tirana’s Incinerator company and had received about 50,000 euros from that company.38
Again, in the Albanian Parliament Edi Rama forced the majorityto ignore opposition calls for an urgent public hearing with thePrime 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 (Directorof Water Utility Company) awarded Klodian Zoto a 3.5-million-euro contract despite the fact that Zoto’s company was onlyestablished four months earlier.
While receiving 3.5 million euro, Zoto also got an official job asa “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/
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 tocriminals
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 people arrested were a head of an elite Police Department, the chief Prosecutor in a District and PellumbGjoka, 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. A Dutch journalist who is acquainted with the Balkans spoke to Belgium TV.41
Edi Rama himself is mentioned in the SKY ECC communications.42 The Belgian TV asked about Prime Minister Edi Rama: “Did he pass millions of euros to criminal gangs? Two years ago, an investigation showed that 60% of the constructionindustry and real estate are used for money laundering from drugtrafficking.“4344 Several 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 (PellumbGjoka, Bajra gang and Tom Doshi) as terrorizing people inShkodra city and buying votes for Edi Rama. Berisha toldjournalists on
16 May 2023 that “Crime changed the voting result in Shkodra: Pellumb Gjoka, the Bajra gang and Tom Doshi were involved”.46Nonetheless, neither the police, nor the prosecution office or anyother law enforcement agency did anything to relieve the terrorplaguing the people of Shkodra. It was only thanks to Belgian and Dutch Law Enforcement Agencies who handed over to AlbanianAuthorities some 18,000 pages obtained from encrypted criminal communications using secret system SKY ECC that PellumbGjoka and few others were finally arrested by the end of July2023, while about a dozen other 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 transcript materials brought to the attention of the mediaseveral 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 pleased47. There were communications about organizing murders with killers that should do the hit regardless of the costs4849. Belgianmedia also reported at length about the close ties of PellumbGjoka with Edi Rama. The Albanian (and later Belgian media)reported that “While Pellumb Gjoka was planning murders, EdiRama proclaimed him ‘Strategic investor’”50 51
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 of Edi Rama’s government andcultivated 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 license to operate gambling in asmall hotel (albeit the law requires the issuance of such license only for 5-star hotels). Also the government promised to 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 intercepted and provided by French, Belgian and Dutch Law Enforcement Agencies indicated that PellumbGjoka was involved in several murders in Shkodra and Tirana.Gjoka also bragged about pocketing the head of police inShkodra.
Pëllumb Gjoka: “They have the Deputy Director and Chief ofPolice, while we have the Head of Organized Crime Department and we have the top information, which they do not know, andyou should not tell them”.53
The Opposition leader Sali Berisha denounced the use of theProsecution 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 purposethat these bandits, murderers, traffickers, rapists, be used against opposition and behave as conquerors in Shkodra (on Election Day on 14 May 2023).”54
Tom Doshi is another ally of Edi Rama who was engaged inprocuring votes for the ruling government. Mr. Doshi ispocketing more than 20 million euro each year from thegenerosity of the Albanian Government for the purchase of medical drugs. Mr. Doshi was a member of the
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/
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/
Socialist Party (Edi Rama) but later bought the ownership of aminor political party and albeit not in government, he has alwaysbeen 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 EdiRama. Here below are some passages from that report which has been also echoed in several media in Albania, including the Voice of America – Albanian Service56.
“Australia’s top criminal intelligence agency suspected Tom Doshi, a leading Albanian businessman and politician with ties tothe 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 anorganized criminal group implicated in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other offenses in Australia, according to confidential intelligence assessments.”58
According to the Organized Crime and Corruption ReportingProject and reported by Voice of America – Albanian Service, “agent McGonigal has met Mr. Doshi more than once.”59
In 2019 German tabloid Bild published several wiretaps whichimplicate Edi Rama in vote buying and blackmail. The wiretaps showed the extent of vote buying activities of the Socialist Partyduring the by-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 MinisterEdi Rama himself. Later in 2019, Bild released more wiretapsfrom 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 184/2016.60
Those wiretaps shocked European public opinion, but Edi Ramareleased 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”.61
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 has been addressed as the firstEuropean narco-state
“According to the International Monetary Fund’s definition of a narco-state, as a state ‘where all legitimate institutions becomepenetrated 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 andgovernment institutions and weak border controls” with drugtrafficking, tax evasion, smuggling, and human trafficking themost profitable crimes in country. Drugs are big business here.”62
Metamorphosis 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 organizedcrime. In conversations on the SKY app, some police chiefs talk about fixed monthly payments they or their superiors received from crime, for providing information on their targets, illegalactivities such as gambling or otherwise.63
“An EU-funded study, which ran from 2016 to 2019, found a staggering 20.7 percent of Albanians were offered money orfavors in exchange for their vote. In January, it was revealed thatcocaine 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 supportfrom 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 of abuse of power although hewas charged with drug trafficking and corruption. Tahiri’s name was mentioned in a wiretap overheard by Italy’s anti-mafia police in connection with kickbacks, cannabis trafficking and smuggling Kalashnikov rifles. Tahiri was replaced by Fatmir Xhafaj, whose short stint as interior minister ended after his half-brother Agronwas 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 accusedpolitician for his connections 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 found3.4 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
attention, but Belgian Authorities were not pleased and suspectedboth Basha and Balla as persons who had sabotaged the covertoperation.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, theAlbanian media reported that he was very close to Taulant Balla. Faced with numerous requests from the journalists, Ballaadmitted 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 charterflight paid for 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 thatBego’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 foran 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 Riverwould 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 theUrban Plan in that part of the riverbank.73
A 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. Withthe 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 ofthe 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
67 https://exit.al/en/mp-balla-speaks-on-relationship-with-convicted-drug-trafficker-were-not-friends-but-i-did- travel-with-him/
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
politician named Taulant called me and offered me help, but I didnot ask him anything. “I don’t mention his full name because myfamily is at risk,” said Capja.74
The 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 (Petref 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 people 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 millionBritish 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 named Sharra and the gang of Elbasan as responsible 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 fromAlbania. 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, involvingsenior police officers, confirms not only the extent of the
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 nowonder that the data theft was done with criminal intent. And it is no surprise that everything happened to tell the truth of theappointment 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 Corruptionand 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 seriousoffense has the minister or prime minister shielded because he is not arrested, but simply suspended along with two othersubordinates. Only after public pressure, this case is referred tothe 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 tohide, 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.”79
AL in Sweden. 