Rama and Ahmetaj were close”/ Should KAYO be investigated?

Socialist Party MP Erion Braçe, speaking as a guest on the “First Minute” program on News24, commented on the heated debate surrounding allegations made by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj.

Braçe publicly acknowledged that Prime Minister Edi Rama and Arben Ahmetaj had been close, while stressing that any claims concerning the KAYO company or arms trafficking should be investigated by law enforcement authorities if evidence is available.

Asked about Ahmetaj’s statement that he loved Edi Rama “like a brother” and his request for forgiveness from Albanians, Braçe chose to mock the terminology but acknowledged their close relationship: “I did not know they had been like brothers. I knew that Rama and Ahmetaj were close, but that is all.”

Regarding the serious allegations that the state-owned KAYO company was being used as a cover for arms trafficking from Africa, Braçe said the matter needed to be verified by the institutions: “Everyone has the right to file a report when they become aware of facts proving that a crime has been committed, including arms trafficking. The report is the key element. Anyone who has such facts … the law enforcement authorities, if they determine that there is evidence, may launch an investigation.”

The Socialist MP defended the 2024 legal framework for establishing KAYO, emphasizing that the company was created under a public law in the national interest and that every agreement must go through the Minister of Defense and the Council of Ministers. Asked about weapons allegedly coming from Africa and being repackaged in Albania, Braçe sought to soften the terminology:

“If weapons come from Africa and are sold from here, that is not arms trafficking in my view. Arms trafficking is associated with countries in conflict where sales have been prohibited by UN resolutions. Nevertheless, the process following the legislation must unquestionably be verified by parliamentary committees and the Supreme State Audit.”