Ahmetaj publishes wiretaps, Bardhi: Under Rama’s government, the state is treated as a bargaining chip

Gazment Bardhi, chairman of the Democratic Party’s Parliamentary Group, commented on News24 on the audio wiretaps made public by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj.

He denounced a scheme that, according to him, involves the transit shipment of weapons and the transfer of public assets into private hands, describing it as a direct deal made in the name of the state and enabled by the power of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

According to Bardhi, the published materials confirm the opposition’s longstanding allegations about how the government and people connected to it operate.

He described as shocking the fact that someone negotiates on behalf of the Albanian state, and said that such a practice continues for as long as Edi Rama remains in power.

Bardhi said the opposition knew that Balluku, Ergys Agasi and Ron Yeffet acted in this way, adding that anyone who found themselves in that position under Rama’s government would behave in the same manner.

According to him, anyone who loves Albania and seeks fair competition is concerned when they see that this is not only absent under Rama’s regime, but is also accepted by the prime minister’s associates in every meeting, agreement or shady operation they carry out.

Bardhi also expressed concern about the way state assets are administered, saying that they are being treated as properties put up for sale. He stressed that this case is neither the first nor the last as long as Edi Rama remains in government.

The head of the DP Parliamentary Group also warned that the weapons issue could have serious international consequences for Albania’s position in the Western military alliance.

According to him, the weapons-trafficking affair would constitute an international scandal, since Albania is a NATO member and the issue would undermine the country’s commitments to the Alliance. Bardhi called on the prosecuting authority to act without delay.

He said he hoped that SPAK investigations would not be dragged out for years, as he claimed happens in cases involving Edi Rama. Bardhi pointed out that no one has genuinely disputed the authenticity of the wiretap, so the prosecution should investigate the published content.

According to him, Rama should have been charged in dozens of cases currently under investigation. He concluded that hope is all that remains, although, based on what has been seen so far, the prosecution has not met the standards Albanian citizens expect when Edi Rama is involved in a case.