Fjori Sinoruka /BIRN

Opposition politicians in Albania said the theft of over 100,000 euros from an official sheds light on governing officials’ illicit wealth.

A court on Monday ordered a mother and son believed to have stolen the cash from a public official to remain in custody. They were arrested on January 7.

The robbed official, Alda Klosi, is a senior official in the Ministry of Finance. The service woman was reported to the police in December.

Initially, police found 120,000 euros in a safe in the woman’s home. They later installed surveillance and overheard the mother and her son discussing even more money that they had hidden in their kitchen, which was not found in the first raid.

According to the police, they later went back and found some 404,000 euros, around 8,500 dollars and jewels. Police also confiscated three expensive cars, allegedly purchased by the son with the stolen money.

Klosi said only the 120,000 euros came from her. It is not clear where the other money came from.

Media reported that the Tirana Prosecution has started to investigate the origin of the money that was found.

It is unclear where all this cash came from. But the opposition said it shows the shocking level of riches accumulated even by mid-level officials in a government that is perceived as highly corrupt.

Sali Berisha, from the opposition Democratic Party, also claimed the police were told to cover up the name of the victim of theft, adding that this is the biggest amount of money ever captured.

“The police was ordered not to mention the name of the Prime Minister’s Office official, sunk in euros, emeralds, gold sapphires and rubies”, Berisha said on Facebook on Sunday.

Alda Klosi, who had worked as chief of cabinet of former deputy PM Arben Ahmetaj and held various other positions, said she had collected all the money to pay for her uncle’s medical care.

She told Euronews Albania that “that money was for an unfortunate case of my uncle who has cancer”.