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| From the left: Sali Berisha and Jamarbër Malltezi (archive) |
The Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime is investigating the privatization of the 'Partizani' complex for money laundering. But the investigations by SPAK have now turned into concrete actions.
This Saturday, Jamarber Malltezi, the son-in-law of Sali Berisha and his partner Fatmir Bektashi, was arrested at Rinas Airport. The General Directorate of Serious Crimes has imposed an obligation for former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, to present himself and a ban on leaving Albania.
On November 17, 2020, the former leader of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party, Taulant Balla, filed a criminal complaint with SPAK regarding the privatization of the "Partizani" complex. Balla had brought charges against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, former Defense Minister Arben Imami, other members of the Berisha-led government, Jamarber Malltezi, Sali Berisha's son-in-law, direct beneficiary of this property, as well as the leaders of the Albanian army headquarters along with the administrators and shareholders of the two construction companies in that complex. A property of around 10,000 square meters, located in the center of Tirana, was privatized in 2008 for a value of $100,000.
A case currently in the hands of the Special Prosecution Office is the privatization of the Partizani Club. In this lawsuit filed by Balla, former Prime Minister Berisha, his son-in-law Jamarber Malltezi, and former Minister Arben Imami are accused of abuse of power.
The "Partizani" sports club was the most important sports complex owned by the Ministry of Defense, located not far from the center of Tirana, where today you can see this group with 17 towers on "Frosina Plaku" Street, at the former Aviation Field, the largest sports center in the heart of the capital, with an area of 26,000 square meters, which was eventually sold for only 14,000 euros.
Several towers of the Magnet 1 and Magnet 2 complexes, worth 4,000 times more, are currently being built on that land. Jamarber Malltezi, the "doctor's" son-in-law, is a co-owner with over 40% of the shares. This is a dark matter that has yielded tens of millions of euros in profit.
Who are the beneficiaries of this affair?
The main beneficiary seems to be Sali Berisha, as the Prime Minister, although he did not sign with his own hand, he forced ministers and directors to transfer public property into the hands of his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi. The main beneficiary is Jamarber Malltezi, who, as an alleged heir to 140 square meters of land, managed to acquire 35% of the area through a successful agreement with other heirs, where in exchange for the return of the property thanks to the power of his father-in-law, he would take over the said area. Malltezi erected 19 towers on this property with funds whose source is unknown, of which he owns 40%.
Former Ministers of Defense, Fatmir Mediu, Gazmend Oketa, and Arben Imami, former Minister of Finance, Ridvan Bode, former Minister of Economy, Genc Ruli, former President Bamir Topi, former Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Gjergji Lezha, former Director of Anti-Corruption in the Prime Minister's Office Oerd Bylykbashi, and former Inspector of Anti-Corruption Ilir Kadiu have also participated and been implicated.
This case has caused a great deal of noise, accusations, and debates from all sides of the political spectrum, but now SPAK seems to have started actively raising concrete accusations against the individuals involved in this suspected corruption scandal.