Albanian court upholds state confiscation of media channels, businesses

The Tirana Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organised Crime has upheld the decision in the first instance for the confiscation of the majority of assets belonging to Albanian businessman Ylli Ndroqi, including popular TV station Ora News.

Ndroqi found his assets seized in 2020 and 2021 due to suspicions they were the product of criminal activities.

However, the seizure of government-critical RTV Ora by armed special forces police officers caused concern amongst journalists and various local and international watchdogs. Using such force on the premises of a media station was deemed excessive, sending a chilling message to any journalist or media that is critical of the government.

The businessman requested that his assets be released, but the court decided against the decision of the first instance. A number of assets will be transferred to the state, including the company Ora which holds media entities Oran News and Channel One.

Other assets include shares in 11 commercial companies, plots of land, luxury vehicles, a garage, forestland, and property. The court, however, did release the confiscation of two apartments, two plots and a commercial unit.

The confiscation act was carried out based on the 2009 law “On preventing and combating organised crime and trafficking through preventative measures against the property. The authorities state that the difference between the declared income of Ndroqi and the assets he and his family held between 1998 and 2020 is €3 million.

The investigation started in July 2021 based on the emergence of criminal records related to an arrest in Turkey in 1998 for international drug trafficking. The court also said Italy issued an arrest warrant for Ndroqi in 2006.

In 2021, Ndroqi’s lawyer said that Ndroqi has never been convicted of a crime in Italy. He added that His assets are all legal and that they have demonstrated that the majority are funded by banks and commercial activity, not the proceeds of crime.

“It’s 100% legal property with no dubious source of money,” he said.

Ndroqi continues to say he is innocent and that the action against him is politically motivated.

The US treasury department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, accused the businessman of using the media outlets to “extort and blackmail Albanian citizens through demands for money and advertising purchases in exchange for withholding publication of negative media stories”.

(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)