After news broke that the head of the Albanian Football Federation Armando Duka was undergoing a tax audit, the Minister of Finance Delina Ibrahimaj, said that it is just a “coincidence.”
The investigation comes in the midst of a public spat between the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj and Duka. On a recording of Veliaj addressing a football assembly meeting, he can be heard saying, amongst many profanities, “I am going to do whatever it takes to make their life miserable through prosecutors and SPAK.”
Prosecutors already confirmed to Exit that they have launched an investigation into the institution Duka heads.
Ibrahimaj was questioned by BIRN on whether the tax administration was being used as a political tool against Duka. She denied this was the case.
“In fact, the tax administration operates on the basis of tax laws and procedures. The case in question is a coincidence that happens exactly at this moment, as it comes in implementation of a denunciation and a series of denunciations, which the state administration must verify within a period of 7 days, “said Ibrahimaj.
Duka claims that the tax department arrived at the premises of a business owned by him and his brother in Shkozet, describing it as intentional and politically motivated.
