Being a politician in the Balkans is one of the most wanted jobsand also one of the most well-connected especially when it is related to the shadow life of the gangs and criminals. Albania has the reputation of a Parliament filled with MP which in their past have been convicted for felony.

In 2015 the EU and USA agreed with the opposition to write a Decriminalization Law which will remove these ties with politics. In 2017 more than 300 officials were indicted from the Prosecution office and 8 Members of Parliament were indicted and removed from the Parliament due to their past. Most of them were connected with the Socialist Party and have special relationship with PM Rama and high rank socialists.

Mr. Balla, the second powerful man in the Socialist Party and a figure very well connected with the EU and integration is one of the most connected MP to the criminal groups. His name is related to several gangs’ members from his constituency to the unlawful manner to close disputes between police and criminal individuals.

The King Mida friend.

It was the end of August 2018 when Mr. Bega with his family was travelling back from his holidays when he was stopped in Igumenica, Greece and was arrested due to an international warranty from Interpol. It was only this story that opened a Pandora box that would reveal a very close friendship between a very notorious politician and a businessman which has changed more than thrice his name and surname and has a criminal past.

Mr. Bega, known in Italy with his other four names, was sentenced for 21 years from a court in Milan in 2008 after he was found head of a criminal gang in Milan-based criminal organization that collaborated with the Lushnje criminal gang. After 2 years in prison he was extradited in Albania where his sentence was shortened in 4 years and then he served only 1 year in prison. After his release he created three business and was in the verge of bankruptcy until he managed to create networks and friendship with the second powerful man in the Socialist Party.

This friendship was fruitful for both sides as the evidence and public records shows. Mr. Bego was able to get nearly 14 million euros from public tenders due to his new friend which had the golden hand of king Mida. So strong were the ties that Mr. Bego was able to be stronger than the law which disqualifies everyone whom has been sentenced in prison to gain public money through tenders.

According to the border systems Mr. Balla has traveled with Mr. Bego 25 times outside Albania. Asked from a local journalist if he knows Mr. Bego, the whip of the socialist Caucasus accepted the acquittance with him adding that he has familiar friendship with him. In a situation where the Albanian politics is shattered from the connection of the criminals with politics, the friendship of Mr. Balla and a person whom was even part of one of most feared criminal groups in Albania is very worrisome.

In his public statements’ MP Balla declared that he met Mr. Bego in 2015 the Dragostunja Mosque within his constituency of Librazhd. But contrary the border data show they traveled together in 2014. Some people related to this matter in private tell that Mr. Bega is a very well-connected man with the Wahhabis movement in Albania. The Dragostunja Mosque has become controversial since its takeover by radical Islamists.

When the scandal related Mr. Begoerupted the only one to come forward to the defense of Bega, apart from Balla was Ahmed Kalaja, a Tirana mufti known for his Wahhabis leanings. Kalaja, which at that time wasn’t in Tirana, dedicated a big Facebook status in his defense maintaining Bega is a good person since he donates a lot to his Dine Hoxha mosque and does charity with its flock.

Mr. Bego has used this close family friendship to win a 25 years mining licenses as a single bidder. The mining area was in the constituency TaulantBalla (Elbasan, Librazhd).

The opposition has accused the SP that it has used persons with criminal past to run for office, according to the opposition 8 MP were found of being sentenced for felony and which were part of the Socialist Party and has close connection with high rank official. In 2015 the Parliament approved a Decriminalization Law which doesn’t allow persons which in their past have been sentenced to run for office. Actually, the DP has found three mayors from the SP which have been convicted.

Road to Kruja

Police Officer EmiljanoNuhu, on 21 July 2018, was on duty at the FushëKruja police station.He received the testimony of a young orphan girl, XhisielaMaloku,  for rape, assault,  battery and other abuses. For several times Mrs. Maloku has denounced the son of RrahmanRraja, which is MP for the Socialist Party, for rape and assault evidence and forensics have supported her claim and the prosecution asked Nuhu to proceed with arrest. Officer Nuhiunotified Rexhep Raja, son of MP,  and communicated the arrest measure.

In a rare interview which he gave after he hid himself outside Albania, Mr. Nuhiu, explained to the public that on a very hot day of summer 2018 in his office he sawMP Rraja, his brother XhelalRraja, the Socialist Party Secretary GeneralTaulantBalla, and the Mayor of Kruja, ArturBushi. Nuhiu named Rraja’s brother (a suspect for serial murders, including that of a policeman) as the man whom pointed a handgun and asked him to drop the induction for his nephew (RrahmanRraja son). All of this happened in the auspicious eyes of two MP from the Socialist Party and especially in front of the Deputy of the Integration Council for Albania, Mr. Balla.

Although Mr. Balla denies having been part of this event, but his statements are contradictory.  On September 26, 2018, he stated that officer Nuhu was lying and that he had been in public meetings on July 21, 2018, while on the 27th of September 2018 in a political talk-show he stated that on July 21 he was fishing in Lake Pogradec. His Facebook postings contradict him as well, showing him in Lake Pogradec days after he said he had been there.

Last but not least MrBalla’s name came out also in the investigation called Toyota Yaris, where a Toyota was seized with 3,4mln euros that are believed to have come from drug trafficking in western Europe. Belgian investigators are now in the country trying to understand how possible is so easy to give access to a car full of money to enter the border! The answer  is very straight forward: Taulant Balla.

The profile of this politician whom on one side wants to integrate Albania in EU and welcomes in meetings several high rank officials from EU and Germany. And afterwards has several ties with criminals which profits from him and his political power explain the situation now in Albania. A country in turmoil whom high ranks politician of majorityhave ties with criminal gangs.