In March 2017, three months before the parliamentary elections of that year, Lulzim Basha signed a series of contracts with an American lobbying company with a total value of 675 million dollars.
The first contract was signed with the company "Muzin Partners" against a payment of 75 thousand dollars divided into three installments of 25 thousand dollars each. In April, Nick Muzin signs a contract with Baron Offices, charging this office with lobbying for the DP for the amount of 35 thousand dollars.
In Albania, DP has declared to the Central Election Commission as lobbying expenses for 2017 150 thousand dollars.
However, the documents submitted by the American company to the Department of Justice show that the payment made by the Democratic Party is 675 thousand dollars, that is 600 thousand dollars more.
In the company's statements, the amount of 150 thousand dollars is reported as payment on March 24, 2017 by "Biniatta Trade LP". Three days later, PD paid for fees and expenses in the amount of 25 thousand dollars, and the last one was reported on June 9, 2017 in the amount of 500 thousand dollars from the company "Biniatta Trade LP".
The Democratic Party and Lulzim Basha himself have become socked with the numbers. Basha initially said that the money was not Russian, silently accepting the amount paid. Then he said that the payments were made within the Albanian legal framework without giving figures.
The prosecutor's office in Tirana started the investigation and, just like with the investigation of Rguga e Kombit, Basha was saved by the procedure. The group of prosecutors did not agree to send the file for trial with two charges, that of falsifying documents and concealing income. The case was closed after the deadlines to send it to the Supreme Court expired.
Connection with the Russians
Biniatta Trade is owned by two companies, Asverro Corporation and Liminez Commerce Inc, both registered in Belize, according to the letter submitted by Scotland during the Lulzim Basha investigation. Both these companies are shareholders of Babyonica, a company registered in London with Russian owner Evgen Sheremetjev.
Binniatta Trade was run by Gina Esparon, who is a shareholder in the EuroImpex company, together with another Russian citizen, Mihail Slipenchuk, a former politician from Vladimir Putin's party.
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