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"Redcloud"/ Company linked to Arbër Veliaj received 4.3 million euros for Kanye West tickets

2026-07-12 14:22:00, Denoncim CNA

"Redcloud"/ Company linked to Arbër Veliaj received 4.3 million

On the morning of July 7, 2026, the Ministry of Culture urgently transferred 400 million lek (4.3 million euros) to the accounts of the company "Redcloud", engaged in organizing the concert of American rapper Kanye West.

Just one day earlier, on July 6, the Council of Ministers had approved a Normative Act with the force of law, quickly, to spend the predetermined amount for the Emergency Fund in order to ensure the smooth running of the much-debated spectacle.

Prime Minister Edi Rama stated in a public appearance that government funds were planned to be spent on the concert, in order to "not embarrass Albania in front of foreign tourists."

Earlier, in April 2026, when Rama first revealed that Kanye West had planned a concert in Albania in mid-July, he emphasized that the government would not spend a single penny on the activity.

"Redcloud"/ Company linked to Arbër Veliaj received 4.3 million

However, on July 6, he appeared in the warehouse where the stage was being set up for the concert that would take place a few days later, on July 11, in the company of the Minister of Culture, Blendi Gonxhja.

The Prime Minister announced for the first time that the government would spend 400 million lek, which were intended for ticket purchases. The controversial decision was immediately implemented.

"Redcloud"/ Company linked to Arbër Veliaj received 4.3 million
State Treasury payment to the company “Redcloud”

State Treasury data shows that the payment was made by the Ministry of Tourism in favor of "Redcloud", a company engaged for years in organizing events.

"Redcloud" in Veliaj's file

The beneficiary company was established in 2011. It has been owned since 2021 by Klodian Makashi.

In the spring of 2024, the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) launched an investigation into the acting mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj. In February 2025, the procedural actions reached a climax with the arrest of Veliaj. He is now on trial for 9 counts of “passive corruption”, “hiding assets” and “money laundering”.

In a separate file, SPAK prosecutors are conducting verifications on the role of Arbër Veliaj, brother of the mayor of Tirana, in a suspected money laundering scheme.

The youngest son of the Veliaj family has owned the company "Gogel" for years, engaged in organizing cultural and artistic events. Prosecutors have created a database, from which it turns out that various private companies, which have benefited from tenders from the Municipality of Tirana, also turn out to be contractors of Arbër Veliaj's "Gogel".

On April 17, 2026, the Special Court Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SCOC) approved the request of the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) to conduct an inspection at the offices of the "Gogel" company.

Among many documents, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) have also seized a contract signed between Arbër Veliaj's "Gogel" shpk and Klodian Makashi's "Redcloud".

In the seizure minutes, the BKH noted: "Seizure 'Business Cooperation Agreement, date July 2024', in English, concluded between Gogel Shpk and RedCloud Shpk, sheet 4 (four)".

Arbër Veliaj challenged the decision to search his office. However, the Special Court of Appeal dismissed his claims in June of this year, seizing all documentation taken from Google's offices, including the contract with Redcloud.

At the moment, there is no public data to prove that Klodian Makashi's company is part of the Special Prosecution's investigation.

From the data on the information portal "spending.data", it appears that the company 'Redcloud' has benefited from around 37 million new lek from the municipality of Tirana, under the direction of the now arrested mayor, Erion Veliaj./ Bold News





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