Journalist: Rama used the money to lobby for himself, not for Albania

Journalist Artan Hoxha states that Prime Minister Edi Rama has used money and human resources to lobby for himself, and not for Albania.

Speaking on Syri TV, Hoxha brought to attention the case of Bilal Shehu, who was convicted in America for paying Edi Rama $80,000 to get into a meeting with then-US President Barack Obama.

Hoxha stated that Rama was not allowed to enter the meeting, but was allowed to take a photo, while Bilal Shehu also imprisoned Edi Rama because he had violated American laws.

' The Task Force created to monitor the elections was a creation, with financial support from the British Embassy.

A week ago, we saw how the Attorney General and SPAK reported to international ambassadors what was happening in Tirana.

They have a responsibility to Albanian citizens, to voters and to Albanian political forces, who are the actors participating in the process. So if they have identified problems, they should ask them, they should tell them the concerns they have, and they should also take into account the concerns that the political forces have.

They must report to the actors participating in the elections what they have encountered, what they have found, and what problems the election campaign has had so far, and where they are actually acting.

And this must be done before May 11, because after May 11 it has no value. If Rama wins the elections, he will give you whoever you want, not Belinda, but whoever you want, he will reach out and take whoever you want.

What we have seen over the last few years from Rama is that he has used human and financial resources in a frightening way to lobby and gain support and reliance from what are today the major powers in global politics.

Initially in the US and we already have proven them, and then in the main EU countries. Practically, Edi Rama did not lobby for the interests of Albania, but for his own interests.

The case of Bilal Shehu, that taxi driver in New Jersey, when Rama was still in opposition. What did he do? He started an operation in September 2012, found a way to go to New Jersey and went on behalf of Bilal Shehu and his wife.

This money went there through the bank, and was translated into checks that would be taken to the October 8 event in San Francisco where funds would be raised for then-president Obama. 70 thousand dollars went in the name of Bilal Shehu and 10 thousand dollars went in the name of his wife.

US law prohibits funding from foreign nationals, and therefore two Albanian nationals who were American citizens were used to exploit precisely this space that American law allowed.

Bilal Shehu was convicted and went to prison for Rama, too ,' said Artan Hoxha.