Sali Berisha’s leak of confidential files draws sharp rebuke from SPAK chief
Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic Party, appeared at the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) to fulfill his court-mandated obligation to report regularly. During the appearance, Berisha again staged a protest outside the SPAK headquarters, addressing supporters and reading excerpts from alleged wiretaps related to the so-called “Toyota Yaris” case, which he claims implicate the Minister of State for Parliament, Taulant Balla.
Berisha’s claims drew a sharp rebuke from SPAK’s chief, Altin Dumani. Speaking to reporters, he declared that there is a court ruling prohibiting the publication of investigative case files. He warned that violating the confidentiality of ongoing investigations carries criminal liability, emphasizing that “everyone is equal before the law.”
Why is this important: Dumani’s rebuke comes in the aftermath of similar claims by Berisha and criticism of SPAK’s silence on the issue. The public disclosure of such sensitive information from ongoing investigations has become a source of concern in Albania, with politicians and journalists frequently leaking details from confidential case files. While Dumani’s statement today was interpreted as a veiled threat to Berisha calls have grown for internal investigations within SPAK to identify the sources of these leaks among its officers and prosecutors.
Context: According to Berisha, the wiretaps extracted from Sky ECC reveal the name of Taulant Balla in conversations between a former employee of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH), a former prosecutor, and two lawyers.
SPAK has launched an investigation into the involvement of officials in this case. On December 30, 2024, SPAK submitted the criminal file against the former Chief Prosecutor of Vlora, Aurel Zarka, the former judicial police officer at the former Serious Crimes Prosecution Office, Erjona Daupaj, lawyer Radovan Çela, and Astrit Vladi, accusing them of interfering in the case. Meanwhile, a separate investigation has been opened for judges, prosecutors, and other justice officials who collaborated with them.
What happened: On June 24, 2018, €3.4 million were seized at the port of Durrës, hidden in a “Toyota Yaris” vehicle. The money, split into €3,336,700 and 80,000 Swiss francs, was concealed in the upholstery of the side doors of two cars imported from Belgium.
On December 30, 2024, SPAK submitted the criminal file against former Chief Prosecutor of Vlora Aurel Zarka, former judicial police officer Erjona Daupaj, lawyer Radovan Çela, and Astrit Vladi, accusing them of interfering in halting an investigation that was a subdivision of the Toyota Yaris case.
Astrit Vladi is a cousin of Elvis Vladi, who was convicted in the Toyota Yaris case for €3.4 million, though only for the charge of failure to declare the money.
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