Details from Ermal Beqiri’s arrest in France: The suspicious flight over the nuclear plant and the multi-million euro wealth from AKSHI tenders

Businessman Ermal Beqiri was arrested by French authorities while piloting a civilian aircraft at an extremely low altitude. According to journalist Klodiana Lala, during the detention he stated that he was talking on the phone with his mother, thus justifying the dangerous maneuver over a nuclear plant.

His name first became known from the expert analysis of the Meta-Prifti video material and the data processing scandal, and has now been strongly mentioned again in the affair of the National Agency of Information Society. Lala emphasizes that Beqiri, in partnership with Ergys Agasi, obtained tenders worth 200 million euros, while the seized assets amount to millions of euros.

The guard of the nuclear power plant in Pendi noticed that the aircraft was moving outside the allowed parameters, precisely in an area where a new nuclear project is being developed. Air forces intervened by escorting the aircraft to clarify the safety altitude violation. Beqiri’s answers raised strong suspicions, while further checks revealed that he was wanted internationally by Albanian justice.

Several GPS devices were found in the aircraft, indicating that the flight was part of a well-thought-out plan, possibly with instructions from other persons. There is still no official announcement from the French prosecutor’s office regarding the finding of illegal items or the launch of espionage investigations. Also, the question remains whether Beqiri was transporting funds related to corruption in AKSHI.

The State Police announced that the arrested person will appear before the court and then the extradition request will be submitted. The French authorities had initially requested that the arrest not be made public, while Beqiri is held in a cell with the serious charges presented by the Albanian side. The value of the tenders for which he is suspected of applying together with Ergys Agasi reaches 200 million euros, while Daniel Shima’s testimony is classified as top secret.

Equipped with a pilot’s license and inclined towards an extravagant lifestyle, Beqiri owned a luxury yacht, while the wine alone seized in Ergys Agasi’s cellar is worth millions of euros. He is also the person who installed the camera system in the latter’s residence. Since the Meta-Prifti case, Beqiri holds sensitive data of the highest institutions, including the Bank of Albania and judicial bodies.

An irony of fate connects him to France: when President Emmanuel Macron visited Tirana, Beqiri was photographed beside him. Although he was never part of AKSHI’s staff, as an IT expert he is suspected of having, together with Agasi, prevented other businessmen from competing by manipulating security certificates and tender documentation. The charges against him carry a very high potential sentence.