From drug money to Veliaj's arrest/ Arben Ahmetaj's statements from the escape

2025-03-27 12:53:00, Politikë CNA

From drug money to Veliaj's arrest/ Arben Ahmetaj's statements from

"The one who was once number two." This is the title of the long and exclusive interview of former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Arben Ahmetaj, with renowned Dutch journalist Vincent WJ van Gerven Oei.

In this interview, Arben Ahmetaj dwells at length on three issues: drug money in the Albanian economy, the political access of criminal organizations, and the arrest of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj.

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Asked if he was aware of the numerous reports about the role of drug money in the Albanian economy during the period when he was first appointed, Ahmetaj stated that in those years it was mostly related to the laundering of money flowing through the construction sector. He added that this is also noticeable from the ongoing construction and towers in Tirana.

"This element is related to money laundering, which mostly passed through construction channels. Today in Tirana there are 64 thousand empty apartments and you still see towers being built. How can construction be used as a generator, while there are 64 thousand empty apartments? With what money is this financed, when the percentage of bank loans is close to a single digit? Money laundering? This is not development; this is a shadow economy that benefits the people and politicians who are connected to this money laundering flow," said Ahmetaj.

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Asked if he has seen members of organized crime in the Prime Minister's offices, Ahmetaj deviated from a direct answer, but said that there is a shadow of doubt, since according to him, the maximum budget is always given for winning tenders and the highest level of availability is offered.

"Today there is a shadow behind every project in Albania, every tender. Very rarely is there a straightforward process. Look at the winning tender offers: always 98, 99% of the maximum available budget. How can it be? Where else can you find this? Nowhere. Infrastructure projects, roads, energy, water, municipal projects... Everyone knows this, it is now public knowledge even for the simplest and most ordinary Albanian," Ahmetaj declared.

Regarding the question of how he sees the developments of recent days in Albania, with an arrested and imprisoned mayor like Erion Veliaj, Ahmetaj considered it as theater and accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of this.

"This is totally Rama's theater. They can actually investigate him while he is out, but not as mayor. He cannot remain in office while he is being investigated and accused. At the same time, I do not agree with Erion's stance of attacking prosecutors and their families," Ahmetaj said.

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Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Arben Ahmetaj, fled on July 7, 2023, after learning that SPAK had requested authorization from the Parliament for his arrest. From that moment on, Ahmetaj has given several interviews in which he has revealed some of the behind-the-scenes politics./CNA