The Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) has declared former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj as internationally wanted.
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and other international law enforcement agencies have been notified.
Official sources in the Special Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the news to Euronews Albania.
The Albanian Parliament voted on July 14 to lift Arben Ahmetaj’s immunity as a member of the parliament, paving the way for his arrest, as well as searches in his properties.
117 deputies, including Prime Minister Edi Rama, voted in favor of SPAK’s request to arrest Ahmetaj, while three deputies who were present at that meeting, abstained.
After voting in favor of lifting Ahmetaj’s immunity, Prime Minister Edi Rama declared it is up to the justice institutions to thoroughly investigate and conclude whether Ahmetaj is guilty or not.
The Prime Minister reminded that the Socialist Party will not tolerate anyone who abuses their position for personal benefits.
However, Ahmetaj is reportedly out of Albania. According to his lawyer, Henrik Ligori, the former deputy prime minister is currently in Great Britain with his daughter, and will return to Albania when he believes “the truth will be revealed”.
Through various Facebook updates, Ahmetaj claimed that he has been threatened and that the ongoing investigation against him is unrelated to the incinerators case, but is solely an investigation against his persona.
In June, SPAK questioned Ahmetaj for nearly six hours, as investigations against him expanded in four directions: money laundering, passive corruption, false declaration of wealth, and abuse of office.
Six properties belonging to Ahmetaj were put under preventive seizure last week by SPAK, as well as documents of interest, laptops, mobile phones, USB drivers found in these properties. Two bank accounts of Ahmetaj amounting to 124,300 euros were also seized.
Investigations against Arben Ahmetaj were launched in 2022 and the Special Prosecutor’s Office has so far discovered undeclared properties and investments of the former deputy prime minister in 20 years, as well as indirect payments received as bribes by incinerators’ businessmen Klodian Zoto and Mirel Mërtiri amounting to 491,000 euros.
Arben Ahmetaj has held several important positions during the ten years of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s governance in Albania. He has been the Director of Taxation, Minister of Economy and Entrepreneurship, Minister of Finance, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Reconstruction.
