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"Der Standard": Veliaj-Xoxa couple involved in money laundering scheme
2025-02-17 08:12:56 / POLITIKË
Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj was arrested on Monday on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. He is a central figure in Edi Rama's ruling Socialist Party and a long-time associate of his.
The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has been investigating Veliaj for some time, accusing him of accepting bribes and involvement in money laundering schemes.
According to reports on Tuesday, his wife, Ajola Xoxa, has also been arrested at home. She is suspected, among other things, of false declarations of assets. In addition, five businessmen are also being investigated.
SPAK suspects that Veliaj and Xoxa have created a scheme to illegally benefit from public funds of the Municipality of Tirana. Veliaj is suspected of having approved the distribution of these funds and the granting of construction permits to companies closely related to him.
“These public funds then ended up in several non-profit organizations, limited liability companies and individuals that, de jure and de facto, were controlled by his wife and people close to her, thus creating a complex and suspicious network of transactions, ” SPAK stated. A member of parliament has also been placed under investigation for obstruction of justice.
He called the journalist a "hitman"
Erion Veliaj has been the mayor of Tirana since 2015. He has been criticized for his stance on the media, calling a journalist a “hitman.” Recently, he has also been accused of corruption.
Several senior municipal officials, all under Veliaj's command, were involved in a scandal over the misuse of public funds intended for the construction of waste incinerators in Tirana. The municipality had paid much higher amounts than the real value for these projects.
Another scandal involved the company 5D, which was founded by senior municipal officials and had benefited from several public tenders. For this reason, in April 2024, Veliaj was questioned by SPAK. In Tirana, he is known by the nickname “Lali Eri”, a popular expression meaning “Big Brother Eri”. / Taken from ' Der Standard '
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