Fazlic lawyers ask for impartial investigation

TIRANA, Oct 20 – Two American lawyers arrived in Albania last week to defend their client, Damir Fazlic.
Edward Ross and Andrew Corcoran of the Washington-based litigation department of Skadden, Arps DC office were accompanied by Albanian lawyer Genc Gjokutaj.
They first learned, at the prosecutor’s office, that they had to register at the lawyers’ association in order to be considered as attorneys in the country, where they were also accompanied by a local lawyer.
Bosnian businessman Fazlic has been investigated on money laundering allegations after the media made public that he had registered four companies with assets of only 6,000 euros in capital. He had later transferred 1.7 million Euros from his company in Cyprus to one in Albania to buy land in Porto Romano, Durres district.
Fazlic has been known to have served as an adviser to the governing Democratic Party during its electoral campaign in 2005 and also brought in the U.S. Barbour Griffith & Rodgers company to help them.
Fazlic is Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s friend and, also, a client of his daughter Argita, a lawyer.
The two U.S. lawyers declined to answer questions, but only read a statement. They said they were considering the charges against their client and, also, appealed to the local media to be impartial while covering this case.
They added that the charges against their client were baseless and politically motivated.
U.S. former prosecutor and now an adviser, Jimmy Gurule, said in an interview to a private television station that, from what he had learned, it seemed appropriate to investigate Fazlic regarding possible money laundering.
He said that selling and buying non-operational companies was a clear indication of attempts to launder money.
Fazlic’s property and bank accounts have been sequestered by prosecutors. They also have allowed two of his partners to remain free, both Albanian businessmen, one of them being the brother-in-law of Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha, also one of Fazlic’s friends.