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| From the left: Jamarbër Malltezi and Sali Berisha (montage) |
The Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (Known locally as SPAK) has detailed corruption charges today against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his daughter's son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi.
SPAK stated that Mr. Berisha had carried out concrete actions as Prime Minister, including the approval of laws and sub-legal acts, from which his son-in-law benefited through the privatization of state property - the Partizani sports complex.
Mr. Berisha dismissed the charges as unfounded, labeling them as political attacks by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Investigators suspect criminal acts of "active and passive corruption by high-level state officials in collaboration, as well as money laundering of criminal proceeds or criminal activity in collaboration, committed by high-level state officials and other individuals during the privatization of the Partizani sports complex."
SPAK revealed today that former Prime Minister Sali Berisha committed passive corruption in collaboration with Jamarber Malltezi, his son-in-law, and undertook concrete actions to amend laws and sub-legal acts to adapt them to the needs of the five family owners of the Partizani sports complex, from which his son-in-law directly benefited, VOA reports.
SPAK emphasized in the public statement that, as Prime Minister, Sali Berisha actively took administrative control measures to exert pressure and issued concrete orders to expedite the privatization procedures in favor of, among others, Malltezi, his daughter's husband. Additionally, SPAK stated that former Prime Minister Berisha actively made various state administration structures available to Malltezi for the privatization process of state property.
Mr. Berisha rejected the accusations, stating that they are baseless and mere political attacks by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
"Edi Rama thinks that by engaging his prosecutor against me and arresting my family members as political opponents when the opposition has started the relentless battle for the restoration of full pluralism and politics, the return of free voting, and saving Albania from the first and only narco-state regime in Europe, he can slow down, strike or counteract the opposition's action," Mr. Berisha said.
Meanwhile, SPAK has also accused senior officials of the Socialist government, including former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, former ministers, and members of parliament, in relation to whom Prime Minister Edi Rama distanced himself. He stated that everyone must face justice for the allegations brought against them, and the Socialist Party is not anyone's advocacy office.
Regarding the Partizani complex case, SPAK arrested Jamarber Malltezi at Rinas Airport last night, while Sali Berisha and Fatmir Bektashi are prohibited from leaving the country and are required to report to the police.
The Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana has placed 16 immovable assets of Malltezi, 6 of his bank accounts, and the fundamental capital shares of three companies under preventive seizure. Malltezi is suspected of passive corruption in collaboration with his father-in-law Sali Berisha, abusing his power as Prime Minister, profiting from the privatization of lands and sports facilities, from changing the designation from a sports area to a residential area, considerable amounts of investor status from "Homeplan" sh.p.k., without any investment in it, as well as obtaining profits before being declared a shareholder in this company.
In collaboration with builder Fatmir Bektashi, Malltezi is suspected of money laundering, presenting himself as an investor in the construction of the residential building, while not investing, conducting financial transactions, fragmented transactions, or in cash, to hide the origin, and obtaining illegal sums of more than 5 million euros.
On the other hand, Bektashi is also suspected of active corruption of high-ranking state officials in collaboration with Malltezi, giving him illegal benefits in large sums, with the common purpose of building on sports grounds. He is suspected of money laundering, hiding the true origin of Malltezi's irregular monetary benefits, and presenting them as legal income from business.