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Villa in the VIP area of Tirana/ How the German accused of a multi-million euro fraud scheme was extradited to South Korea
2025-02-26 22:08:53 / AKTUALITET
He had come to Tirana to escape trouble with justice in 5 countries. In South Korea, he risks life imprisonment. Stefan Morgenstern, a citizen of German origin, had settled in one of the luxurious villa complexes in the Lundra area of Tirana. He was a neighbor of many politicians, businessmen and dirty business bosses who take refuge in the luxurious villas. For some time, he lived quietly, undisturbed by anyone. At least, until August 2023. While waiting for his Polish wife Anna Morgenstern who was coming from Dubai, he was put in handcuffs.
'Dubai is a gathering center for many individuals who carry out illegal activities in their countries and find physical shelter and financing opportunities, and through collaborators they return and invest the illegal money in their countries. Groups from Albania are no exception here,' said former prosecutor Shkelqim Hajdari.
'There is an international competition, which is seen and studied by transnational crime, we are an enviable area there, where it is known that there are no strong law enforcement institutions,' said former prosecutor Eugen Beci.
South Korea wanted the German for fraud. He had extorted a total of 28 million euros. In 4 other European countries where he committed the same frauds, assets worth a total of 123 million euros have been seized. It is suspected that Morgenstern has filtered hundreds of millions of euros into shell companies in tax havens. The couple's main base was Dubai, the place where many Albanian organized crime bosses are also sheltered. It is not known whether any of them brought the couple to Albania. But what is impressive is the fact that in recent years, more and more foreigners, so-called businessmen from this emirate, are entering the country. The fact that Morgenstern appeared as a philanthropist in Dubai is impressive.
'In recent years, a trend has been noticed where many businessmen, camouflaged through charity, have attempted to finance extremist activities that often begin with violent extremism and end with terrorism. There have also been attempts to launder money and terrorism, as these are also linked,' said former prosecutor Eugen Beci.
'In certain countries, due to the created environment, another part of those so-called investors who are interested in investing, people whose main goal is money laundering, investing illegal money, are infiltrating,' said economic expert Pano Soko.
On March 5, 2024, the Supreme Court approved the extradition of the German citizen to Korea. This was the final act of a battle that Morgenstern lost in the other two levels of the judiciary.
The process led to a property investigation against his Polish wife Anna Morgenstern. In April 2024, the Tirana Prosecutor's Office seized the couple's villa in the VIP area and two garages. The declared value is 500 thousand euros. The Polish citizen is now under investigation for money laundering.
In the network of fraudulent cryptocurrency companies, Stefan Morgenstern had a Polish collaborator, Roman Zieman. It is not known whether the latter has ever entered Albania. On his website, he advertises himself as a speedway pilot, child rights advocate, and musician./ InsideStory
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