Former Justice Minister accuses Albanian PM of Money Laundering Through the New €1bn Scheme

Tirana, Albania (Tirana Echo) – Former Justice Minister Ylli Manjani who was fired from his position last week has accused the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama of using the new €1bn Euro scheme of infrastructural development to launder the money made from the massive cannabis cultivation across the country.

In response to the new reconstruction national scheme of the Albanian government unveiled last week which would pump around €1bn Euros of private funds into several infrastructural projects in the country, Manjani reacted on a Facebook status saying that this would be used as a pure money laundering scheme.

The €1bn project unveiled by PM Rama is Money Laundering. The cannabis cultivation and trade has managed to make 1bn Euros, but they need a place to hide it. The best way is investments. And investments through government programs are the safest. The typical money laundering scheme which derive from the black market needs a contract (service, concession, or PPP) with the Government, a bank which would be the guarantee and a paralysed state to ensure protection from prosecution” – said Manjani in his Facebook page.

Albanian PM Edi Rama had earlier unveiled plans to start a new national program called €1bn Euros for Reconstruction which would pump government and private money into several infrastructural projects across the country. The announcement came as the IMF decided to end its mission in Albania.

Manjani said that the new program comes deliberately now after the IMF has decided to leave Albania, as it gives the government a free hand in borrowing outside the public debt.

“Concessions are pure debts for the state and for our society, although the government does not register them as debts right away… Albanians cannot pay back debts to traffickers the same as the pay off serious creditors – the IMF should have not left the country” – said Manjani.

As legislative elections approach in June, the center-left government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has been eager to show that the country can attract foreign investment and create new jobs.

In absence of significant FDI into the country, private sector representatives have been encouraged by the new €1bn Euros Package proposed by the government which would see the building of 5 major axes of national roads, 150 schools, a hospital in Fier and several health centers across the country.

According to business weekly ‘Monitor’, although building contractors are excited, experts warn of an increase in fiscal risks while the IMF says that Albania has not consulted them on the new package.