Details from the operation/ How the journalist who fined the fine was arrested

2026-02-12 13:55:00, Aktualitet CNA

Journalist Elio Laze has been arrested at the office of his portal where he was working, caught red-handed receiving money.

EXCLUSIVE/ Journalist fined for arrest
February 12, 13:21

Elio Laze continued his scheme of insults, threats, blackmail and insults through a portal and after many investigations conducted by the Tirana Prosecutor's Office, the police have today put him in handcuffs by court decision.

CNA has learned that journalist Elio Laze has been arrested by the State Police after months of attacking his portal and imposing a fine on a state official.

For two years, journalist Elio Laze had been blackmailing an official by slandering, writing and threatening him, allegedly in connection with a call center and then making other accusations against opposition officials.

It is learned that Laze initially demanded 40,000 euros and then another smaller amount, around 10,000 euros, but the moment the official went to give him the money, blue uniformed officers from the Criminal Police and Economic Crime appeared and handcuffed the fined journalist.

Elio Laze is not an unknown character. He has been in the focus of social networks or online media for years. He previously worked as a journalist at 'Ora News' and was then sold to Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana, who through a businessman was able to take control of Elio Laze.

With weapons, drugs and debts/ The journalist's exploits, which ended up under seizure by the company
June 4, 09:23

Laze had long been working with his own portal, where, as has already been confirmed, he imposed fines in an unstoppable manner by exploiting his space on the portal with hateful, insulting, threatening, blackmailing, cursing, intimidating, and even threatening language.

The drug addict with a gun won't give up on slander
June 3, 16:01

CNA also previously reported that Elio Laze was arrested several years ago with weapons and drugs, but did not serve a single day in prison after being rescued by a prosecutor who was dismissed from vetting with strong intervention. It is suspected that it is the same businessman who "bought" Laze from 'Ora News' in a bargain with Erion Veliaj, who intervened to take Elio Laze to the prison hospital at the time of his arrest with weapons and drugs. Laze was later sentenced to probation.

Journalist with weapons and drugs released/ How much money did the Laze prosecutor receive for not appealing the decision?
July 13, 11:12

CNA has also reported that Elio Laze has been convicted several times by the Tirana Court for various acts of insult and defamation committed in online media. He was convicted in a trial against journalist Elvi Fundo and there is already another open court process, which apparently with his arrest for fines, will also reveal the true face of this fine-giver, who is not the only one in the dirty online media market in Albania./CNA