The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, will hold a meeting with Tirana Municipality employees this Thursday. Sources indicate that the meeting will take place in Skanderbeg Square at 16:30 and is expected to last until 17:45. Afterwards, from 18:00 to 19:30, Rama will hold another meeting on the topic “COD as a philosophical space in political dialogue.”
The Prime Minister’s meeting with municipality employees comes after the arrest of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, following a request from SPAK (Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution). Rama has declared that he will not dismiss the mayor until a final court decision is issued.
Following the meetings held at the Tirana Municipality last week, it has been decided that Anuela Ristani will serve as the political administrator, while Alban Dokushi will act as the administrator, to carry forward the municipality’s work. Anuela Ristani will be delegated the duties of the Mayor of Tirana, who is currently under arrest.
Asked by Euronews Albania journalist Enkelejda Mema about who will lead the municipality, Rama gestured towards the Skanderbeg monument in the square.
It is worth mentioning that, based on the information gathered so far in this preliminary investigation, the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has brought serious charges against Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and his wife, Ajola Xoxa.
According to investigations, Veliaj and Xoxa are suspected of having created and implemented a sophisticated mechanism to obtain illegal financial benefits from the public funds of the Tirana Municipality. Specifically, in at least 10 instances, SPAK has raised reasonable suspicions of corruption, where Veliaj approved the distribution of public funds and construction permits to commercial entities linked to him. These funds were later transferred to nonprofit organizations, private companies, and individuals associated with Xoxa, creating a complex financial transaction scheme.
SPAK confirms that Veliaj is charged with “passive corruption of high state officials or elected local officials” in 9 cases, as well as “money laundering of proceeds from criminal offenses or criminal activities.” Meanwhile, Ajola Xoxa faces charges of passive corruption, money laundering, and concealment of assets.
Additionally, SPAK has announced that five businessmen have been indicted for active corruption, while Socialist Party MP Klotilda Bushka is under investigation for obstructing the disclosure of the truth. The investigation is being led by prosecutors Ols Dado and Altin Dumani.
