Another report of the abusive use of public funds has shed light on how the money of the Albanian military is managed and on the involvement of suspicious individuals in state contracts. The investigation, launched after information was made public by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, concerns the transfer of around 30 million euros in taxpayers’ money to the company “Timak Defense.”
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According to the published documents, “Timak Defense” was established through cooperation between the state-owned company “Kayo” and private shareholders. The state owns 20% of the shares, while 80% is controlled by Roni Yeffet and Arjeta Puca. Despite its limited ownership stake, the main financing was provided by the state.
Journalist Julian Hoxhaj said on “Çim Peka Live” that the investment reported by the private shareholders amounted to just 490 euros, paid by Roni Yeffet to purchase shares from Arjeta Puca. Just two months after the company was established, the state injected 10 million euros, while to date the company has received 2.5 billion lek, or around 30 million euros, from Albanian taxpayers.
Hoxhaj said that although the vehicles are presented as “Made in Albania,” there is no genuine production line at the company’s premises. According to him, the vehicles are modified and welded in an adapted warehouse before being sold as Albanian-made products. In addition to the funding, the state has also made the premises and assets necessary for the operation available.
The journalist compared this way of operating to a “mini-incinerator” and to the concession schemes granted by Edi Rama from 2014 to the present, arguing that in this case the state is the main financier even though it owns only a small portion of the shares.
Çim Peka questioned the delay by SPAK in launching an investigation. He said that the program “Plug” had published documents and information as early as January, while the justice institutions had taken no concrete steps. According to him, only after the publication of the latest audio recordings and the emergence of a public scandal did SPAK show interest in the “Kayo” case.
Julian Hoxhaj explained that his investigation began after Arben Ahmetaj’s fourth interview with Çim Peka. In that public appearance, Ahmetaj had provided information about Roni Yeffet’s activities in Albania, mentioning the attempt to give him the land of the United States Embassy, the state debt, his involvement in Vlora Airport and other issues.
According to Hoxhaj, the same interview also presented information on how, according to the report, Albanian military assets and funds earmarked for armaments were being directed toward Roni Yeffet. The journalist said that the materials used in the investigation included Treasury transactions and documents registered with the National Business Center.
He added that the journalistic investigation had reached Senegal, a country that Roni Yeffet mentions in an audio recording as the place where the weapons are obtained, packaged in Albania and then sold to various countries. According to Hoxhaj, Senegal also created a link to Charles McGonigal, who was one of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s friends and has since been convicted.
Hoxhaj said the documents showed the rapid pace at which “Timak Defense” was established, a company jointly owned by “Kayo,” Arjeta Puca and Roni Yeffet. He stressed that while the two private shareholders own 80% of the capital, the state owns only 20% but has covered the financing and provided the working premises.
Responding to statements by “Kayo” director Ardi Veliu, who had said that Yeffet became the majority shareholder after promising a major investment, Hoxhaj said that no such investment by the businessman had been recorded to date. According to him, the only documented amount was 490 euros, while the main payments were made by the Albanian state.
During the program, Peka asked the journalist whether the amount provided up to that point was 30 million euros and where the vehicles were welded. Hoxhaj confirmed the amount and explained that the company had received several assets, stressing that in such a partnership the private party should provide an investment, such as a production line or other technical capacity. In the case of “Timak Defense,” he said, the state had provided both the money and the premises.
Çim Peka said that citizens already know the accusation that Edi Rama’s government steals, while the journalists’ aim is to present concrete evidence. He also accused SPAK of failing to investigate cases for which, in his view, evidence exists, describing the cooperation between Rama and the institution as criminal and saying that changes in the people released or arrested are used as a way of feeding the public information.
During the discussion, Julian Hoxhaj’s name being mentioned in audio recordings was also addressed. The journalist said that at first he had not felt well after becoming the subject of discussion by people who had declared themselves or been described as traffickers. He added that the situation had worried his family members and those close to him, but it would not stop his work because he considered the matter serious.
Hoxhaj said that one of the key elements of the audio recordings was Roni Yeffet’s statement that the media would talk about them and focus on them for a long time. According to the journalist, this showed that their focus was on journalists, since the media are precisely what can expose the illegal activities of this government and those connected to it.
He emphasized that only a few journalists have the courage and the space to carry out such investigations, also mentioning the possibility of working at “Syri Televizion” to expose the government’s affairs.
