TIRANA, Oct. 19 – A meeting of all major opposition parties in Albania has unanimously asked for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama following the revelation of suspected ties between former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri and one of the Albanians arrested two days ago in Italy as part of a criminal organization specializing in marijuana trafficking from Albania to Italy.
The publication of a wiretapping file by the Italian authorities with conversations of members of the Italian-Albanian organization dealing with drug trafficking between the two countries increased debate in Albania due to Tahiri’s name and alleged bribes being mentioned.
Although wiretaps show only the name “Saimir” is mentioned, Italian investigators believe the former minister is the man in question.
In recorded conversation Habilaj speaks of several million euros, according to which Saimir “had only been provided for one month” and that he needed more than “20 million euros for electoral campaigns”.
In other cases, an amount of “30,000 euros I have to give him,” or “a few thousand euro gifts”, is mentioned for the wife and mother of Saimir.
Tahiri said in a press conference the Habilajs were his “ten-grade” relatives and had abused by mentioning his name, while he said that except for the case of selling his car he did not have or have any ties to the men. There was “no report, much less an illegal one,” Tahiri said.
The former minister stated that he would seek from the Prosecutor’s Office a thorough investigation into him and his work.
But for the opposition, which two years ago had denounced Tahiri’s suspected ties with Habilaj, said the former minister is only a mediator in the links that the prime minister has with the criminal groups.
“The United Opposition’s Front seeks the departure of Prime Minister Rama as the leader accountable and the leader of the narcotics state, the direct beneficiary of his minister’s mafia relations with narcotics traffickers and gun traffickers,” Basha said following the opposition meeting. “The United Opposition Front wants the creation of an anti-mafia government and electoral reform aimed at breaking the ties of crime with politics and guaranteeing free and fair elections as the only way to restore legitimacy to the government.”
Socialist Movement for Integration leader Monika Kryemadhi said the opposition will launch a broad action against the government’s links to the crime.
“This front will put it all on its commitment to having a political action, which is very important, a fight against the narcotics represented and headed by Prime Minister Edi Rama,” Kryemadhi said.
The opposition also urged the Attorney General to launch an emergency and speedy investigation of Tahiri.
In a long reaction on Facebook, Prime Minister Edi Rama replied by saying that “the opposition does not demand a serious state nor justice, but power for itself.”
