Berisha knows of his cabinet Mafia links, says lawmaker

TIRANA, Oct. 17 – Opposition Socialist lawmaker Saimir Tahiri said that an international intelligence service had presented to Prime Minister Sali Berisha a file with the links of some of his cabinet members with the Mafia.
Tahiri said that since some three months the file is on Berisha’s table, adding he could not give more details on that due to the confidentiality of the content.
Tahiri said that the ministers mentioned there had been aware of the source of money they have used in different investment or been part of them.
“It’s more than three months that Berisha has a file with the names of senior officials who have been sponsored to higher posts from the organized crime and the international Mafia. They have been nominated in high government posts sponsored from the dark world of crime,” said Tahiri.
Reacting tot he news the local media added that explains the efforts from the government to change the head of the Albanian secret intelligence police. The government draft law has been postponed twice when sent to the parliament following calls and pressure from the international organizations not to do that act.
The opposition has insisted in the last months that many cabinet members have been involved in Mafia activities through illegal moves they have made to earn money exploiting their posts.