How Veliaj's family members turned into art managers

Ajola Xoxa and Erion Veliaj, photo taken from Google

CNA has made a series of denunciations about the incinerators, about the "5D" file, about the funds used for advertising by Erion Veliaj's brother, Arbër Veliaj, who does the media capture, but also about the schemes of Ajola Xoxa, the wife of the mayor of Tirana .  ( Read here )

CNA showed how Veliaj's wife turned from a lawyer to an art curator, her connections with the Tirana incinerator company that financed the works of Ajola artists and the payments that Mrs. Xoxa's "Sparrow" received from the Ministry of Culture. ( Read here )

The scheme denounced in recent days is related to the family members of Ajola Xoxa, who have opened centers in Albania in the form of NGOs and have benefited from funds from the Municipality of Tirana, directed by Erion Veliaj.  ( Read here )

Ajola Xoxa and Erion Veliaj, photo taken from Google

Two of them are Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu, and her mother, Valbona Xoxa.

Ajola Xoxa's uncle, payment from the Municipality of Tirana and the Ministry of Culture

Ajola's uncle opened the "Eventus" center in Albania in 2021, which includes activities in the field of culture, where Linda Kazani, his wife, is the director.  ( Read here )

Also, Erald Simixhiu opened the company "Art Lab", which he has in his name, and a year later declared a profit of 93 million lek.

Data in the CKB for the company "Art Lab"

Data in the CKB for the company "Art Lab"

From the data provided by CNA , it appears that the "Eventus" center has received payments of tens of thousands of euros from the Municipality of Tirana.

According to the documents, the Municipality of Tirana has made 5 payments, in the amount of about 93 million lek, to the "Eventus" center from the Municipality of Tirana, at different times. The "Eventus" center also received two payments from the Ministry of Culture.

Payments from Tirana Municipality and the Ministry of Culture to Erald Simixhiu, Ajola Xoxa's uncle

Another detail discovered by CNA is that Erald Simixhiu is also a member of the Board of Directors of the company "Encyclopedic Publications" . ( Read here )

Ajola Xoxa and her mother Valbona Simixhiu Xoxa are majority shareholders in this company. The latter has 69.71% of the shares, while both together have over 89.5% of the shares of this company.

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

The movement of shares in this company has strong doubts in all the legal procedures followed for capital increase and giving shares to many shareholders and inflating the shares given to Ajola Xoxa and Valbona Simixhiu Xoxa.

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

Ajola Xoxa's mother, hundreds of millions from art and culture

Mayor Erion Veliaj's mother-in-law is not the only shareholder in this company.

According to official data provided by the KKB, Valbona Xoxa also founded the company "AVA STUDIO" in October 2021. ( Read here )

Data in the CKB for the company "AVA STUDIO"

Data in the CKB for the company "AVA STUDIO"

After Ajola and Erald Simixhiu, Valbona Xoxa becomes the third person from Erion Veliaj's wife's family to open a company in the field of art and culture almost at the same time.

Valbona Xoxa, Erion Veliaj's mother-in-law, in just 2 months of activity manages to earn over 20,000 euros from the business for 2021, while for 2022 there is a net profit of 110,000 euros.

The profit of Valbona Xoxa, which is thrown for investment

So, Valbona Xoxa, Erion Veliaj's mother-in-law, in addition to the monthly salary she receives as an administrator of the company "AVA STUDIO", as a successful businesswoman, it turns out that she receives at least 10,000 euros profit per month with services in art and culture. ( Read here )

Companies, at the same addresses

The investigation into the family members of Veliaj's wife does not end here.

Another important detail is that their companies have the same address. In the information extracted from the official website of Ajola Xoxa, she declares her employment in 3 art galleries, the "NAAN" art gallery, the "Harabel" art gallery and the "Gurgur" art gallery.  ( Read here )

All three galleries have their headquarters at the same address as the law firm of Ajola Xoxa. 

Her businesses are located on "Ibrahim Rugova" street in the area of ??the former Block, where she does not even pay rent.  ( Read here )

The address of the offices of Ajola Xoxa, declared by the latter on her social networks

Ajola Xoxa's company address

Also, the "Eventus" center of Ajola Xoxa's uncle has the same address as her niece's companies, i.e. at "Ibrahim Rugova" street, Sky Tower, Tirana.

The address of the "Eventus" center, by Erald Simixhiu

On the other hand, the address of the company founded by Ajola Xoxa's mother, Valbona, is in Unit number 5, "Brigada e VIII" street, on the tenth floor of a building.

But the email address stated in the CKB is [email protected], of Ajola Xoxa's company.

The address declared in the KKB by the mother of Ajola Xoxa

Thus, the companies of Ajola i Veliajt are related to those of her family members not only with the type of activity they carry out, but also with their addresses./ CNA

Ajola Xoxa and Erion Veliaj

After Ajola's uncle, Erion Veliaj's retired mother-in-law, Ajola Xoxa's mother, Valbona, appears on stage.

The family of Erion Veliaj, after the arrival of the latter at the head of the Municipality of Tirana and receiving the second mandate from Rilindja, add businesses mainly in the field of art and culture. ( READ HERE)

CNA has conducted an investigation regarding another person from Erion Veliaj's family.

After the uncle of Ajola Xoxa, the wife of Erion Veliaj, where CNA discovered that he and his wife owned and managed a limited liability company and an NGO, which was paid by the Municipality of Tirana, we are bringing another case. ( READ HERE )

Erald Simixhiu and Linda Kazani Simixhiu, photo taken from social networks

CNA was able to discover that not only Ajola Xoxa and her uncle deal with art and culture, who were also connected to the company. "Encyclopedic Publications", the mother of Ajola and the mother-in-law of Erion Veliaj appear in the same field.

According to the official data provided by the KKB, it turns out that the retired mother-in-law of the mayor Erion Veliaj, Mrs. Valbona Xoxa, founded the company "AVA STUDIO" in October 2021.

So far there is nothing abnormal, anyone, at any age, can open businesses and exercise cultural and commercial activities.

According to official data, the address of the company founded by Mr. Veliaj's mother-in-law is in Unit number 5, "Brigada e VIII" street, on the tenth floor of a building.

The email address stated in the CKB is "[email protected]" of Ajola XOXË's company.

Data in KKB

According to the data, the company aims to:

The purpose of the society is to carry out various activities in the field of publishing, art and culture, in the social and educational field and in the field of tourism.

Data in KKB

Valbona Xoxa becomes the third person from Erion Veliaj's wife's family to open a company in the field of art and culture almost at the same time. After Ajola, it's her uncle and mother who start doing different activities, earning tens of thousands of euros a month.

Valbona Xoxa, profits with a bet of 100 thousand euros

Valbona Xoxa, Erion Veliaj's mother-in-law, in just 2 months of activity manages to earn over 20,000 euros from the business for 2021.

Data in KKB

Very "talented" for business and maybe delayed in opening it. A retiree who immediately excelled as a businesswoman, overshadowing the former high school teacher.

But the 20 thousand euros were for the two months of 2021, because the subject "AVA STUDIO" for 2022 manages to have a net profit of 110,000 euros.

Valbona Xoxa also makes the same decision to invest the profit just like her brother.

The decision, Valbona Xoxa invests the profit

The brilliance continues even further, customers and funds pouring in for Mrs. Valbona Xoxa, who was surpassing even her daughter Ajola, who does not seem to be as successful in the field of art and culture as her mother and uncle, who have annual profits of 100 thousand euros with newly founded companies. Super talented, but late in hatching activities.

It is not yet known who are the clients of Erion Veliajt's mother-in-law and what third party relationship they have with the son-in-law or the daughter.

Veliaj's rich mother-in-law

Mrs. Valbona Xoxa, Erion Veliaj's mother-in-law, in addition to the monthly salary she receives as the administrator of the company "AVA STUDIO", as a successful businesswoman, it turns out that she receives a minimum profit of 10,000 euros per month by offering services in art and culture, like her daughter Ajola, who is an art curator, but has not been able to have the financial success of her mother and uncle./ CNA

Ajola Xoxa, Erion Veliaj's wife

The investigation is deepening for the family members of the mayor Erion Veliaj and his wife Ajola Xoxa, who are implicated in several schemes of earning funds or developing activities by receiving payments for various cultural projects in Albania.

CNA discovered with indisputable facts and evidence how the Municipality of Tirana had given 5 payments to the company of Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu. ( READ HERE )

According to the official data provided by CNA and published, 5 payments were made by the Municipality of Tirana, amounting to about 93 million lek directly given to the "Eventus" center by the Municipality of Tirana at different times.

Tirana Municipality's payment to Erald Simixhiu

But apart from Tirana Municipality, Ajola Xoxa's uncle's company has also received some payments from the Ministry of Culture.

Payments by the Ministry of Culture to Erald Simixhiu

All that was said above is proven with facts and evidence.

CNA underlined that it would not stop here and today it will bring other facts and another scheme of how Ajola Xoxa introduced her family members to other companies where she is also a shareholder.

What's happening?

Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu, in addition to having an LLC and an NGO, where his wife was a director and it was reported by CNA that he had received payments from the Municipality of Tirana, in the amount of about 93 million ALL, from 2019 he is also a Member in the Board of Administration of the Encyclopedic Publications company.

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

According to the data provided by CNA, over 89.5% of the shares of this company are held by Ajola Xoxa, who is both an administrator and a shareholder, and her mother, Valbona Simixhiu Xoxa, who actually seems to have the majority of the shares. Encyclopedic Publishing Company with 69.71% of the shares. 

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

Data from KKB for the Encyclopedic Publishing Company

In fact, the movement of shares in this company has strong doubts in all the legal procedures followed for capital increase and giving shares to many shareholders and inflating the shares given to Ajola Xoxa and Valbona Simixhiu Xoxa.

But that matters little.

CNA brings the second connection of Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu, with Ajola Xoxa.

It is not only the company that receives payments worth around 93 thousand euros from the Municipality of Tirana, but it is also Ajola who has introduced her uncle, Erald Simixhiu, to the Board of Directors of the company, together with her mother, who has more than 89.5% of the shares.

Ajola Xoxa, Erion Veliaj, Erald Simixhiu, Linda Kazani, illustrative photo

The scheme is very clear about how Ajola Xoxa's family members have been implicated in money-making schemes.

Mayor Erion Veliaj pays tens of thousands of euros to Ajola Xoxa's uncle, according to the data obtained from the treasury and Ajola Xoxa's uncle through the LLC declares a profit of around 93 thousand euros per year and in today's investigation it turns out that Ajola Xoxa's uncle is a member of Board of Directors in a company where the administrator is Ajola Xoxa, where over 89.5% of the shares are held by Ajola together with her mother, Valbona Simixhiu Xoxa./ CNA

Erion Veliaj, Ajola Xoxa, Erald Simixhiu, Linda Kazani

Cultural projects, art curation, are some of the ways that the people of Erion Veliaj have benefited from the funds provided by the Municipality of Tirana, but also by the government.

CNA has reported dozens of materials about Ajola Xoxa, the wife of Erion Veliajt, who turned from her profession as a lawyer into an art curator. ( READ HERE)

There are several centers for such events. In today's investigation, CNA will bring facts and evidence about how Erion Veliaj paid the family members of his wife, Ajola Xoxa.

AJOLA XOXHA'S UNCLE WITH "EVENTUS" CENTER AND "ART LAB"

In 2021, the "Eventus" center opens in Albania, which includes activities in the field of culture, as well as the "Art Lab" company. 

According to the data that CNA was able to collect, it turns out that the "Eventus" center of Ajola Xoxa's uncle has the same address as her niece's companies, ie at "Ibrahim Rugova" street, Sky Tower, Tirana. 

Address of the "Eventus" center

Ajola Xoxa's company address

So, the "Eventus" cultural center, opened in 2021, exercises its activity at exactly the same address, street and building as Ajola Xoxa.

We go further.

SCHEME, ERION VELIAJ PAYS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EUROS TO AJOLA XOXA'S UNCLE

According to the data released by CNA, Erald Simixhiu is the husband of Linda Kazan, who is the official director of the "Eventus" center.

Meanwhile, Erald Simixhiu opens the "Art Lab" company, which he has in his name at the KKB according to this document.

Date in KKB

Date in KKB

So far, there are two artists who hold cultural events, also in Tirana they gave interviews, gave musical concerts and exercised their activity.

News about the activities

News about the activities

But we go further.  The "Eventus" center, according to data provided by CNA, has received payments of tens of thousands of euros from the Municipality of Tirana.

So, Erion Veliaj directly paid Ajola Xoxa's uncle to develop his activity, but here we are facing a PURE CONFLICT OF INTEREST .

5 PAYMENT FROM THE MUNICIPALITY OF TIRANA FOR THE UNCLE OF AJOLA XOXHA

According to the official data provided by CNA, there are 5 payments, which amount to over 90 million lek from the Municipality of Tirana, directly given to the "Eventus" center by the Municipality of Tirana at different times.

Immediately after the opening of this company, it appears that so far in these 5 payments, two invoices belong to the year 2022, two invoices belong to the year 2023 and 1 invoice belongs to the year 2024. (PHOTO, PAYMENT BY THE MUNICIPALITY OF TIRANA)

Payments from Tirana Municipality to Erald Simixhiu, Ajola Xoxa's uncle

What stands out is the fact that the payment of the year 2024, in a single one, is as much as two bills of the year 2022-2023.

Also, the "Eventus" center has had small benefits from the Ministry of Culture. 

Payments from the Ministry of Culture to Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu

So, in total there are 7 payments for the "Eventus" center of Ajola Xoxa's uncle, the wife of Erion Veliaj, 5 payments from the Municipality of Tirana and 2 payments from the Ministry of Culture.

These are also confirmed by the documents above.

So what happens?! In addition to the "Eventus" center, which receives payments directly from the Municipality of Tirana, Erion Veliaj pays Ajola Xoxa's wife and uncle.

THE INVESTIGATION DEEPENDS

CNA goes further.  In addition to the "Eventus" center, we went to a detail related to the company "Art Lab" in the name of Erald Simixhiu.

As soon as he comes to Albania in 2021, in a few months he declares a profit of about 90 million ALL and on June 30, 2023 he declares the annual report of the company's accounts to the National Business Center.

And what happens with "Art Lab"?

As soon as he came to Albania, just one year later, the company of Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu, turned out with a profit of about 93 million lek, about 93 thousand euros.

And, all according to the document that CNA is bringing, all the profit will be passed as an investment.

The scheme is quite clear. Ajola Xoxa's uncle comes to Albania through two entities, an LLC and an NGO.

The "Eventus" center, which receives payments directly from the Municipality of Tirana, is run by Linda Kazani, wife of Erald Simixhiu, uncle of Ajola Xoxa.

And Erald Simixhiu opens a limited liability company, which is called "Art Lab" and only in 2022 records a profit of 93 million lek (93 thousand euros), which he passes all of it as an investment.

The scheme clearly shows how Erion Veliaj paid Ajola Xoxa's uncle, according to the data received from the treasury and how Ajola Xoxa's uncle declares the profit of around 93 thousand euros per year through the LLC.

OTHER FACTS FOLLOWING, INCLUSION OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS OF AJOLA XOXHA IN THE PAYMENT SCHEME

Erald Simixhiu and Linda Kazani Simixhiu, photo taken from Facebook

CNA has deepened the investigation into Erion Veliajt's family members and apparently, not only Ajola Xoxa, but also others in her circle have been involved in schemes to gain funds or develop activities by receiving payments from various cultural activities projects in Albania.

The Municipality of Tirana as the main financier, but also the Ministry of Culture, with payments that are less. After Ajola had opened several centers for the curation of art, her uncle has opened a center and a limited liability company related to music.

CNA will also bring other facts about other family members, but also the deeper connections of Erald Simixhiu with Ajola Xoxa, but also her mother, Valbona Simixhiu, where the latter is included in some payment schemes or different activities in the field of culture.

WE EMPHASIZE THAT:

We contacted the public phone number of the "Eventus" center to get a statement from Mrs. Linda Kazani Simixhiu or Ajola Xoxa's uncle, Erald Simixhiu, but until the publication of this article we did not receive a response./ CNA

That's Xoxa

For several weeks, CNA has discovered another shady scheme, the "Ajola-H" scheme, where the connection of the wife of the mayor Erion Veliaj, Ajola Xoxa, with the incinerator company is clearly visible.

Ajola Xoxa, graduated in law (this is doubtful) is the founder of the company "Harabel", which has promoted works of art financed by the Tirana incinerator company . (read here)

In the published documents, CNA, among other things, has published a contract for the promotion of another contemporary artist, Sislej Xhafa, who has used Ajola's "Harabel" for his own promotion.

The funds for the curation, promotion and installation of the work have been made available to "Harabel" by no less and no more than "Integrated Energy".

CNA reported a few days ago that Ajola Xoxa does not pay rent or any type of financing for her "Harabel", which is located on "Ibrahim Rugova" street in the area of ??the former Block.

In addition to the above benefits, about which they have many doubts, the wife of the head of the Municipality of Tirana, was also paid by the government, specifically by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports.

In the date of "Open Spending Albania", the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, have carried out the "Harabel" center of Xoxa, for the period from June 2021 to December 2023, 7 payment, with a total value of ALL 2,790,000.00.

Payments from the Ministry of Tourism

Payments:

- On June 15, 2021,   the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports paid the "Harabel" Center for the Zabel project, the International Art Exhibition, 480,000 ALL.

- On December 7, 2021, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports paid the "Harabel" Center for the Zabel project, the International Art Exhibition, 320,000 ALL.

-On June 17, 2022, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports paid the "Harabel" Center 600,000 ALL for the Contemporary Art Digitization project.

- On November 16, 2022, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment paid the "Harabel" Center for the "From Antiquity to Contemporary Art" project, 350,000 ALL.

-On January 24, 2023,   the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports paid the "Harabel" Center for the "Digitalization of Contemporary Art" project, 400,000 ALL.

-On May 25, 2023, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment paid the Center "Harabel" as pre-financing the project "From Antiquity to Contemporary Art 192,000 ALL.

- On December 7, 2023, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment paid the "Harabel" Center for the "Antiquity, art in Albania" project, 448,000 ALL.

Payments from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment

These invoices prove that Ajola Xoxa also received funding from the government for various activities carried out by its center. In addition to funding from the incinerator company, it has also had government support for the projects it has developed in its center.

Payments from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment

Meanwhile, CNA is also investigating payments coming from third parties, that is, the connections of "Harabel" with other organizations or entities.

So we are verifying how the schemes work that the money can be given to a private company, an event company and then this company uses "Sparrow" or "Sparrow" is their collaborator as a beneficiary.

Not only in the cases of funds for art and culture activities and others, but also in the cases of concerts, various events and cooperation that goes perhaps to the benefits from the municipality of Tirana or the government that third parties have due to the relationship with "Sparrow". of Ajola Xoxa./ CNA