Albania’s ruling elite has long treated public office as a gateway to personal enrichment, but few scandals illustrate the depth of government corruption better than the case of Arben Ahmetaj. The former Deputy Prime Minister, now a fugitive from justice, is the face of a political establishment that has turned embezzlement into an art form, all while pretending to govern for the people.
Recent revelations from the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) have peeled back the curtain on Ahmetaj’s lavish lifestyle, funded not by his official salary but by illicit dealings with businessmen who profited immensely from government contracts. One incident, in particular, captures the obscene nature of this political graft: in a single night in 2018, Ahmetaj, alongside the notorious businessman Mirel Mërtiri, squandered an astonishing €90,500 in a Maltese casino. This was no ordinary indulgence; it was the manifestation of a corrupt system where public officials and oligarchs treat state funds like their personal bank accounts, local media say.
According to SPAK’s investigation, these funds were paid in cash for casino chips, an act so brazen that Maltese authorities had little trouble confirming the identities of the players. Both Ahmetaj and Mërtiri left copies of their passports with the casino, a careless yet telling detail that highlights the impunity with which they operated. The two men—one a high-ranking official, the other the de facto boss of Tirana’s incinerator project—were bound together by a web of financial interests that spanned years and siphoned millions from Albanian taxpayers.
Ahmetaj now stands accused of corruption, money laundering, and concealing assets. But he is not alone. His former wife, Albina Mançka, and current partner, Erjola Hoxha, are also under investigation, a sign that this corruption extended beyond personal greed into a carefully orchestrated scheme involving multiple actors. Meanwhile, Mërtiri, along with Klodian Zoto, remains a fugitive, further proof that those closest to power in Albania have mastered the art of disappearing when the walls start closing in.
The incinerator scandal, in which hundreds of millions of euros were funneled into ghost projects, is arguably the biggest financial crime of the last two decades. While some lower-ranking officials like former Environment Minister Lefter Koka and ex-socialist MP Alqi Bllako have been arrested, the real kingpins remain at large. Ahmetaj, a once-trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Edi Rama, has fled to Switzerland, where he has sought political asylum, hoping to escape accountability under the guise of persecution.
The irony is sickening: a man who built his career on state-backed corruption now portrays himself as a victim. And while the government feigns outrage, the reality is that Ahmetaj is not an exception—he is the rule. His story is emblematic of an Albanian political elite that thrives on backroom deals, crony capitalism, and systematic looting of public funds.
As Albania inches toward EU integration, scandals like this one serve as a stark reminder of the deep-seated corruption that continues to plague the country. The question remains: will justice finally prevail, or will Ahmetaj and his ilk continue to mock the rule of law from the comfort of their foreign hideouts? One thing is certain—until Albania dismantles this entrenched system of corruption, its people will remain hostages to a government that treats them as little more than an ATM for the politically connected.