Veliaj 'fights' corruption allegations with PR campaign on TikTok

Erion Veliaj has not remained silent since his arrest in February of this year on charges of corruption, money laundering, and concealment of assets.

But this week, the former mayor of Tirana and close ally of Prime Minister Edi Rama has made more noise than ever to defend himself.

A report was released on Tuesday by two high-profile law firms – New York-based Kasowitz and London-based Mishcon de Reya – condemning his continued detention as “unjust”, describing it as a “possible violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and of the principles of due process under the constitution and laws of the United States”.

The report alleges that Veliaj was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Court in Albania “without any meaningful assessment of whether his detention is necessary, proportionate or reasonable, and without considering other alternatives to detention.”

It is not clear how much the effort cost Veliaj; fees at Kasowitz Studio – which has counted Donald Trump and Robert De Niro among its clients – range from $500 to $1,950 per hour, with an initial upfront fee of $300,000. Mishcon de Reya, meanwhile, represented Princess Diana during her divorce from Prince Charles. Albanian media have speculated that the bill may be picked up by Veliaj’s brother, Arber, who owns several companies and is not facing charges.

Meanwhile, Veliaj has filled Facebook and TikTok with posts praising his achievements as mayor of Tirana, listing projects to improve the city's parks, swimming pools, and playgrounds.

This week he invited his followers to "refresh their memory a little on how much Tirana has changed."

"We did all this together!" he proclaims.

A humble mayor and 'dad'

Veliaj was one of the rising figures of the Socialist Party before he was arrested on February 10 by order of the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK).

Prosecutors allege he illegally benefited from around 1.1 million euros in connection with nine public contracts or building permits signed by him. The court decided to keep him in custody during the investigation and an appeals court rejected his request for bail.

His wife, Ajola Xoxa, is also serving a prison sentence on similar charges of corruption, money laundering, and concealment of assets. Both have denied the charges.

Since the beginning of the investigation, Veliaj has used social media to dispute the charges, attacking the prosecutor and the judge in the case. He has called the case against him “an ugly fabrication and a dangerous farce” and described the prosecutor as a “hitman.”

He has also been accused of orchestrating a propaganda campaign through his friends in the media to attack opponents in the justice system.

But recently Veliaj has changed his tone, from aggressive to humorous, aiming to promote a sympathetic and professional image.

Although TikTok has been banned in Albania for a year by the government of his mentor Rama, Veliaj has used the platform to publish videos highlighting his humor, including a post describing his arrest as "a legendary film."

"People ask if prison has changed me, but I've always been a humble dad, and service to others has always been my love language," he writes in another TikTok video.

But political experts in Tirana are skeptical of this seduction campaign.

“Since the strategy of strong tones and political blackmail, brutally articulated after the arrest, did not work, Veliaj is considering no longer focusing on political actors or the prosecution as a target, but on the public,” political analyst Ergys Mertiri told BIRN.

According to Mertiri, Veliaj's strategy - improving his image to exert public pressure on the court not to sentence him severely - shows that he has accepted his fate.

"This shows that Veliaj has capitulated. He no longer seeks to escape, but to minimize the punishment," he said.

Rigels Xhemollari, political expert and leader of the organization Qëndresa Qytetare, believes that the PR campaign will not succeed "because investigative bodies have long shown that they do not feel threatened by the media, much less by posts on TikTok."

Despite expert opinions, the imprisoned mayor is sparing no effort to secure his freedom.

A Tirana-based media outlet, Shteg.org, reported this week that Veliaj has also contracted a British PR agency called Kendal Global Advisory to work for him.

BIRN sent a request for comment to the company to verify whether Veliaj or his brother are clients, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The claim could not be independently verified./ BIRN