American media: Land for the Zvërnec resort under investigation for money laundering and document forgery! Rama says the project will continue despite legal and environmental challenges

American outlet The Daily Beast has focused on the latest developments surrounding the multi-billion-dollar luxury resort project in Zvërnec, citing SPAK documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency.

According to the article, Albanian prosecutors are investigating businessman Artur Shehu, who is suspected of having sold part of the land where the resort backed by Jared Kushner is planned to be built.

The investigation concerns suspicions of money laundering, forgery of ownership documents, and international drug trafficking.

SPAK documents refer to “reasonable suspicions” that some of the assets were obtained through forged documents, while prosecutors suspect that proceeds from criminal activity were invested in real estate.

The article emphasizes that Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and the project’s investors are not under investigation and are not accused of any wrongdoing.

According to Reuters, there is no evidence that they were aware of the suspicions hanging over the land seller at the time of the transaction.

The project in Zvërnec, backed by Prime Minister Edi Rama, has long faced opposition from environmentalists and residents because of its potential impact on the area’s ecosystem.

Nevertheless, Rama has declared that the project will move forward despite the legal challenges and objections.

The Daily Beast article:

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s controversial luxury resort project in Albania has suffered another blow, as prosecutors claim that land tied to the development may have been obtained through forged property documents.

Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating Miami-based businessman Artur Shehu, who sold a stretch of the coastline planned for Kushner’s multi-billion-dollar resort earlier this year. Prosecutors claim that Shehu and his associates laundered money linked to international drug trafficking and suspect that he used forged property documents to build a real estate empire.

In court documents reviewed by Reuters, the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) said it had “reasonable suspicions” that assets linked to the deal were obtained through forged documents. Prosecutors also accused Shehu and his associates of trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe and laundering the proceeds through property investments.

Shehu has strongly denied these claims. His lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, told Reuters that his client “is neither a drug trafficker nor a forger of property documents” and insisted that the allegations are untrue.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have not been accused of any wrongdoing, nor have any of the project’s investors. Reuters reported that it found no indication that the investors were aware of any concerns related to Shehu at the time the land was purchased.

A spokesperson for Sazan Real Estate Development, the Kushner-backed company behind the project, told Reuters that it continues to believe the land purchases were carried out lawfully and in accordance with the relevant procedures.

The development, planned along an untouched stretch of Albania’s Adriatic coastline, has already faced strong opposition from environmental activists and local residents. Protesters argue that the project threatens wetlands and wildlife habitats, including populations of flamingos and sea turtles, which have become symbols of the movement against the resort.

The latest controversy could further complicate the high-profile project, which Kushner unveiled in 2024 after he and Ivanka reportedly discovered the area while sailing nearby on a yacht.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has remained a vocal supporter of the project and has insisted that it will move forward despite the ongoing legal and environmental challenges.

SPAK’s investigation is still ongoing, and authorities have not publicly announced whether any of the suspects identified in the case have been arrested or formally charged.