
The case of Albanian businessman Ermal Beqiraj has received attention in the French media, following his arrest in France for flying a light aircraft over the Penly nuclear power plant in Normandy.
Media reports that Albania has requested his extradition, while he is in custody awaiting proceedings.
According to French reports, Beqiraj was arrested at Albert Airport, in northern France, after flying over the Penly nuclear power plant, one of the areas selected by the French government for the construction of new EPR2 nuclear reactors.
For this incident, the Albanian businessman was tried in an expedited procedure by the court in Amiens and sentenced to a fine of 7 thousand euros. He was then placed in custody, after the Albanian authorities had requested his extradition.
French media also refer to the SPAK investigation in Albania, where Beqiraj is suspected of involvement in a corruption scandal related to tenders worth millions of euros. According to Albanian authorities, an arrest warrant has been issued against him for organized fraud.
In their reports, French media write that the investigations have also uncovered assets that are suspected of having criminal origins. According to SPAK, these include bank accounts worth over 2 million euros, two apartments, a tourist plane, vehicles and a luxury property in the Oise department, valued at around 2.6 million euros.
French authorities, in cooperation with Albanian authorities, have initiated procedures for the seizure of the identified assets. According to the French prosecutor's office, the extradition process of Ermal Beqiraj to Albania could take several weeks.