The scandal involving the import of eight tons of salmonella-contaminated chicken from Brazil has sparked an intense police investigation in Tirana. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Arben Goxha, the administrator of the company "diMal," while his brother, Mondi Goxha, and three food safety inspectors from the National Food Authority (AKU) are under investigation for abuse of duty. The inspectors in question are Gezim Hushi, Sada Lufta, and Aldo Sinjari. They all stand accused of selling meat that poses a severe health risk to consumers.
According to police reports, the accused imported food products containing salmonella, a bacterium known for causing food poisoning. As a result, Arben Goxha is now a fugitive, while his brother Mondi faces legal proceedings for violating the law on the "Import, production, sale, and storage of food hazardous to health or human life."
Investigations have revealed that Arben and Mondi Goxha, in their capacity as company administrators, imported contaminated poultry products. Laboratory analyses conducted by the relevant institutions confirmed the presence of salmonella in the imported chicken. The AKU inspectors, through their actions and inactions, allowed these products to enter the market, thereby endangering public health.
Martin Jorgaqi, Director of Risk Management at AKU, disclosed that the contaminated meat had been distributed across ten regions in Albania. Authorities managed to recover over four tons of the infected chicken through the identification of 154 invoices. However, the unfortunate reality remains that approximately four tons had already been consumed by unsuspecting citizens.
Jorgaqi further revealed that "diMal" refused to cooperate in tracing the distribution of the contaminated meat. This lack of cooperation led authorities to seek assistance from the General Directorate of Taxation, which helped track and retrieve over four tons of tainted chicken fillets from multiple locations.
The scandal has triggered widespread public concern over food safety regulations and enforcement in Albania. Calls for stricter oversight and accountability within the food import sector have intensified as the authorities continue their search for Arben Goxha and further investigate the extent of regulatory failures that allowed this hazardous shipment to reach consumers.