Strong Appeal by DP’s Basha on SPAK to Probe Tirana Mayor and Other Officials

A strong appeal has been launched by the head of the opposition Democratic Party (DP), Lulzim Basha to the special prosecution (SPAK) to start a probe into the wiretaps released by Italian anti- Mafia which reveal the collaboration of Italian Ndragheta with Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and other government officials.
In a talk show on News24 TV on Saturday Basha asked why SPAK should not urgently demand from the Italian anti-Mafia and anti-Mafia prosecutors, who are their colleagues, the files of this investigation and to urgently start its own, taking these figures that are mentioned in these wiretaps immediately under investigation and doing what the SPAK was set up for, to do justice.
DP head said that these wiretaps show that Prime Minister Edi Rama and the ruling cupola think only of themselves. Basha said that the Albanian society is divided into two large strata, a very rich one who, according to him, are a group of governors and another very poor one, who are ordinary Albanians.
“So what these wiretaps demonstrate is what we have denounced for 8 years, that Edi Rama and his ruling cupola have thought and think only of themselves. That is what makes the difference between Albania and other countries in the region and shows why we have a deeper economic crisis in the time of the pandemic, why do we have the low economic package, why a handful of governors and people get rich and all other Albanians are suffering the consequences of this economy. There is one single answer and it’s the total failure of this government,” he said.
Basha reiterated the call on the Albanian Prosecution, in particular on the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, to seek without delay the perpetrators of this investigation, which has been going on for several years by the Italian anti-Mafia, and to launch a parallel investigation in Albania. “I recall that this happened even when the Italian anti-Mafia uncovered the already famous drug trafficking issues, including the involvement of former Interior Minister Sajmir Tahiri,” said the DP head.
SPAK was created to do justice but true justice can not come without liberating governance, this is in fact the meaning of April 25th, according to the DP head.
“This is one more argument why April 25 should and will bring great change for all Albanians. I repeat it for all Albanians,” Basha said.
The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, has countereacted announcing on Saturday that he will sue Democratic Party MP officials for defamation.
In an official reaction, Veliaj stated that no construction permit has been influenced by interest groups at the Municipality of Tirana.
“I am following through the press the wishes of some Italian mobsters to make business plans for Albania and the wishes of the Democratic Party for these plans to be real,” said Veliaj. He pointed out that everyone who builds in the Municipality of Tirana has a name and surname, while building permits have transparent files on the way of financing.
/argumentum.al