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Becchetti demands the seizure of the money that the Italian government promised to Albania for the immigrants

Politiko 2023-11-20 20:08:41

Becchetti demands the seizure of the money that the Italian government promised

The problems of the Italian government with Europe due to the protocol signed between Italy and Albania for the management of immigrants, are also added to the judicial ones.

The Italian entrepreneur Francesco Becchetti, former owner of the Italian-Albanian television Agon Channel, has announced a sequestration decision for the prime minister and all ministries of the Italian government for 135 million euros.

Becchetti, through his lawyers, requested the seizure of all sums "up to approximately 135 million euros", which the government has undertaken to pay to Albania based on the protocol of November 6, 2023, writes La Stampa .

The entrepreneur, in fact, claims the right to that money based on the award ARB 15/28 of April 24, 2019 by the ICSID Court of the World Bank, which condemned Albania by excluding the compensation of damages for the closure of the television. "The award - says Becchetti - is final, binding, executive and has the same effectiveness as a final sentence given within the state. However, in the last 4 years, the Rama government has refused to implement the provisions of the decision of the ICSID Court of the World Bank, created by the Washington Convention of 1965", writes the businessman quoted by "La Stampa

In 2019, the International Court of Arbitration found Albania responsible for the illegal expropriation of Agonset in violation of the bilateral investment agreement between Italy and Albania and ordered Tirana to compensate Becchetti and other entities over 120 million euros including damages, costs and accrued interest.

According to the entrepreneur's lawyers, the Court "found with the court decision that Edi Rama and his government structures have carried out a political campaign with abuse of police power, inventing baseless crimes against Becchetti".

While Albania has contested the decision for 4 years, lawyers say the government has "escalated the persecution of Becchetti in serious and repeated violation of international obligations established by the ICSID Convention and international human rights treaties."

Consequently, the definition of the Protocol "is likely to seriously damage the interests of Francesco Becchetti", which is why last November 8 the entrepreneur warned the presidency of the Council of Ministers "to approve any act or measure aimed at transferring money or other resources economy in the Republic of Albania and at the same time formulated a formal request for access to documents" and today managed to announce the attachment of the amounts. Agon was introduced in Albania in April 2013 and broadcasts 24 hours a day every day of the week since 2014, never sparing harsh criticism of Prime Minister Rama.

The channel was shut down in October 2015 after Becchetti was accused of money laundering, resulting in an asset freeze and an arrest warrant being issued. After the victory in the arbitration, the Agon saga continues with a new episode.