Government in conflict with Top Media group

TIRANA, April 5 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha declared last week that media in Albania was linked to Mafia groups, which use the media in order to demonize certain government representatives and actions, especially its battle against corruption. The same charges were made by the Minister of Justice Ilir Rusmajli the next day in Parliament, who reacted against opposition’s attacks on this issue. After these declarations there was an outcry of media editors and owners, demanding for specific facts and names that the premier had to supply, as well as provide the prosecuting authorities with the necessary information in order to start any lawsuits. In their statements they doubted first of all the existence of Mafia in the country and then indicated that if the premier had any facts on this issue it was his duty to present the information to the judicial authorities.
But this week this ‘political mediatic’ crisis culminated when the taxation officers went to the doors of Digitalb, part of the Top Media group, threatening to sequester it because of the lack of proper documentation and other tax evasion. It seemed that Top Media group was well prepared because it had also called many parliamentarians of the opposition, including Spartak Ngjela of the ruling Democrats. That made difficult for the tax officials to continue their threats. Top Media claimed all their parts _ Top Channel TV station, Top Albania Radio station, Top Gold radio, Digitalb and Shqip newspaper _ had been under a three month pressure by the tax authorities in an effort to find any miscalculation. They considered that a political pressure because they are against the government.
The same time Finance Minister Ridvan Bode said at a news conference they were checking businesses and not the media, reassuring everyone that that was part of the executive efforts to fight informality in the Albanian territory. He said that continuous checking was in some 30 companies.
Top Media and the Democratic Party government have been in confrontation since the start. The government has said it will use the Pyramid building, where Top Media has many of its offices, into a theater and museum hall and that all other institutions should leave it. Top Media said they had a contract and they agreed to leave it if the government paid all the proper compensation. Top Media has been a harsh criticizer of the government showing in many cases that the propaganda of fighting corruption was not proved in practice. Though not accepting it openly the government has insisted that the media outlet and the business company owing it have made tax evasion and they will stick to the fight against informal economy, a top priority this year.