Sali Berisha, one of Albania’s most controversial political figures, has repeatedly faced accusations of actions that raise serious questions about his loyalty to Albania and the Albanian people. Among the most severe accusations against him is his alleged collaboration with Slobodan Milošević’s Serbian regime by supplying oil to the regime, despite a global embargo imposed due to Milošević’s massacres against Albanians in Kosovo.
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| Paro laçi speaking to local media |
Adding to these allegations, Nexhmije Hoxha, the widow of Albania’s former dictator Enver Hoxha, in an interview to Albanian media about 10 years ago claimed that Berisha was linked to the Serbian secret service, UDB, through his family connections. She specifically pointed to ties through her daughter-in-law, whose family allegedly had connections to the Yugoslav intelligence agency.
However, perhaps the most shocking revelation came from Paro Laçi, a former Guard of the Republic of Albania under Berisha’s presidency, who, in an interview with ABC News, disclosed that Berisha allegedly ordered the assassination of the then-U.S. Ambassador to Albania, Marisa Lino, in 1997. Lino, an Italian-born American diplomat, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Albania between 1996 and 1999. According to Laçi, Berisha instructed the guards to open fire on Lino’s car as she traveled from the Rogner Hotel back to the U.S. Embassy, reportedly due to his escalating conflict with the United States at the time.
"America is well aware of Berisha’s crime,” Laçi claimed, emphasizing that the assassination order on Ambassador Lino was no secret. “He called her all kinds of names, even a ‘witch.’ We were given explicit orders to shoot as she returned, and we were told to verify whether she was killed or not,” Laçi stated. He also described how the guards fired on the armored vehicle carrying the U.S. Ambassador when she refused their command to stop and instead sped towards the American Embassy.
This disturbing account adds to the growing allegations of crimes linked to Berisha, with Laçi further asserting that stolen funds and assets acquired by Berisha should be returned to the state. Meanwhile, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) continues to investigate Berisha’s alleged actions in the hopes of bringing justice for these accusations.
If proven true, these allegations not only highlight a history of betrayal against Albania but also a stark disregard for international diplomatic norms.