After Albania lost the lawsuit against Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti for the compensation he had claimed for closing Agon Channel Tv in 2015, further details emerged from the process that show the clear pressure the government was exerting at the time Becchetti has exercised. MCN TV reported that in early 2014, when Becchetti was investigated for money laundering, a government official specifically told Mr Becchetti that he had to speak to one of his competitors if he wanted to understand why his investments were being investigated and that it was not a good idea to oppose the state. “The criminal investigation into Mr Becchetti’s companies was launched by a government close to its competitors […] against a station critical of the government, “said the verdict.
According to MCN TV, it was easy for the International Court of Arbitration to rule, given Prime Minister Edi Rama’s public statements, that the expropriation of Agon Channel had political motives. “As soon as the confiscation orders were issued, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that his fight against investors as plaintiffs had been a success and further threatened the judiciary that they were involved in one way or another in the violations against those investors,” that said Dish.
Since the Voice of America reported the conclusion of the Becchetti Trial last week, the response from opposition and public opinion has been strong. Opposition leader Lulzim Basha said that after his government came to power, he would confiscate the assets of corrupt politicians in order to pay Becchetti’s € 110 million fine. “110 million euros […] It will not be paid from the state budget, but we will confiscate all the property of the corrupt rulers and their partners, ”said Basha. In the meantime, the former Justice Minister Ylli Manjani called on the special structure for the fight against corruption to open an investigation into Rama. “The SPAK was created with supernatural powers to intervene in such cases. To seize the prime minister, ministers or officials in office, ”wrote Manjani.
Prime Minister Rama responded to the news by saying that “Ilir Meta and Luli and his party’s delight over the unfair arbitration award in favor of someone called upon by the Albanian judiciary is both disgusting and premature,” adding that “Albania won three has four international lawsuits against this culprit and the fight continues “.
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