Former head of the Tirana Prosecution Office Petrit Fusha has been indicted for concealing assets, according to an announcement from the Durres Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Afrim Shehu said the charges were based on a referral sent by the Independent Qualification Commission and materials received by the High Inspectorate for Control and Declaration of Assets and Conflict of Interest.
“He has been charged with concealing assets, but we still don’t have the accounting expertise to give an exact value,” Shehu said.
In particular, Fusha is being investigated for hiding a resort called Mai Tai on the outskirts of Tirana. Matters such as the source of funds and the facility itself are underway.
The investigation into Fusha started in 2020 after numerous reports against him in SPAK. The decision to indict him came just days after a BIRN investigation into his brother, accused of involvement in drug trafficking in Spain and “contributing to the wealth of his brother”.
Fusha worked in justice for 30 years but resigned in 2019 amid the vetting process. It was found that he had failed to declare his brothers involvement in organised crime activities. He continues to work in the field however, running a law firm called Fusha & Partners which works in the legal sector, tourism, and family property management.
In August 2016, the media alleged that Fusha had influenced the investigations into the death of the 17-year-old Ardit Gjoklaj, whose body was found in the Sharra Landfill where he was employed illegally. The investigation into the death was led by Fusha, a cousin of Shkëlqim Fusha, owner of government contractor Fusha shpk, responsible for many of the construction projects started under Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj.
In the months leading up to Gjoklaj’s death, Veliaj had heralded the Sharra landfill as a model company, where everyone worked with legal contracts and social security. He explicitly invited people to apply for work. After Gjoklaj’s death, Veliaj “disappeared” from the media for several days.
In December 2016, while the investigation was underway, Veliaj and Fusha were photographed having lunch together at one of Tirana’s restaurants.
Gjoklaj’s case was closed in 2019 when the court found Dëfrim Hakrama (supervisor of employees) and Edmond Kallari (excavator driver) innocent. The prosecution had accused both the supervisor and driver as being responsible for the death of the 17-year-old.
Prosecution Office Bungled Investigation into Ardit Gjoklaj’s Death
