Deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, Edi Paloka, responded to a comment made by US Ambassador Donald Lu about Arbër Çekaj, whose company smuggled 613 kilos of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment. Lu said Çekaj was definitely a “big fish” from any point of view and called on Albania’s international partners to arrest him and bring before justice.

Paloka agreed Çekaj, whose whereabouts is unknown, should be brought back to Albania, but argued other persons are the real “big fish”.

“Rama’s efforts to detract the attention artificially from the 613 kilos of cocaine are the proof he or his family members are directly linked to that affair”, Paloka wrote on his Facebook page.

“All the evidence is clear and show incontestably that politically powerful persons are behind the cocaine affair”.

“Bringing Çekaj back to Albania is the first necessary step to throw light on the truth, but the bananas’ merchant is not the big fish. The big fish are the persons who guaranteed him they’ll do their best he won’t be turned back to Albania. They are the same persons that extradited Saimir Tahiri’s witness and, as we’ll see, will do anything not to allow Çekaj’s extradition to Albania”.