Veliaj's 'Black' Friday

Judicial police officers conducted searches in the offices of the company of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj's wife, Ajola Xoxa, in the early hours of this Friday (December 6).

Thanks to this search, her cell phone was also seized, after SPAK conducted a search of Veliaj's wife's business offices in the Sky Tower in the capital, where the Harabel Center is located, a foundation founded by Xoxa herself to promote art.

Also, searches were conducted at the apartment of Veliaj's brother, advancing an investigation launched by Mayor Veliaj and his family circle.

Following the media headlines, the Special Prosecution Office reacted, but was reserved in detail. In an official statement, it briefly explained that it had carried out several "investigative actions within the framework of a criminal proceeding."

"The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime informs that several investigative actions have been taken within the framework of a criminal proceeding," SPAK said in a press release, while claiming that it could not provide more details.

Veliaj in Germany, but blocks comments on Facebook

Veliaj himself was not present in Albania today. As he had announced through social media, he is in Germany for an official visit. 

Regardless, it seems that Veliaj immediately took care to remove the comments on Facebook, after SPAK announced that it had initiated criminal proceedings regarding his assets. 

'Hot' issues against Veliaj 

Although SPAK did not disclose which investigation the investigative actions were being conducted for, we recall that there are a number of reports and investigations against Veliaj and persons associated with him.

He is accused of his role in the Tirana incinerator case as well as in the "5D" company case, which was owned by former directors of the Municipality.

At the end of April this year, Veliaj was summoned to the Special Prosecutor's Office where he stayed for more than 7 hours to give explanations about the Tirana incinerator. Upon leaving, Veliaj reiterated that the Municipality he heads had nothing to do with the incinerator process.

At the end of last year, the most important director of the Municipality, Taulant Tusha, was arrested as part of the investigation into the Tirana waste treatment plant, while a few months later, Veliaj received another blow when two former directors of the Municipality were arrested in March.

Four others were given lighter measures. The prosecution's suspicions were that the two directors, Redi Molla and Maringlen Qato, owned a private company through which they had benefited from public funds from the Municipality of Tirana.

A wealth investigation has been underway for several months against Veliaj and his immediate family.

This situation seems to have been the main reason why he was shunned by the political leadership of the socialist party in Tirana , and was left out of a front-line engagement for the upcoming political elections.