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"Weapons come from Africa, packaged in Albania" / Opposition demands parliamentary investigation after Ahmetaj's denunciations

2026-09-08 14:45:11Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"Weapons come from Africa, packaged in Albania" / Opposition demands
Arben Ahmetaj

The opposition demands the establishment of a Parliamentary Investigative Commission to verify the activities of state institutions regarding international arms trafficking.

The request signed by 39 deputies of the Democratic Party and the Freedom Party addressed to the Speaker of the Parliament, Niko Peleshi, seeks to investigate whether the responsible institutions have acted in accordance with the law on the prevention, control and detection of these activities, as well as whether there may be political, administrative or institutional responsibility.

The direct cause for the request are the statements and audio materials published on Syri TV on September 7 by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj.

The signing MPs themselves emphasize in the request that the statements and materials published by Ahmetaj are not considered proven facts, but data and indications that, according to them, should be subject to parliamentary control.

The purpose of the commission, according to the document, would be to verify the claims through documents, evidence, official data, and control of state institutions.

The focus of the investigation of this investigative committee is to establish procedures for the import, export, transit, transport, storage and transfer of weapons and military equipment, as well as licenses and authorizations issued by state institutions. The opposition MPs also demand verification of customs, border, port and airport controls.

Another point that needs to be investigated is whether there were communications, interventions, orders or orientations from public officials that may have influenced the institutional handling of suspected cases, as well as the relationships between private entities mentioned in the materials made public and state institutions.

The parliamentary investigation is proposed to extend over a period of more than 2 years, from January 1, 2024 to September 7, 2026, and envisages also examining documents belonging to an earlier period.

As part of this parliamentary investigation, the opposition demands that the Commission question and hear the testimonies of some of the highest state officials, starting with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister of Defense Ermal Nufi, Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, Head of SHISH Vlora Hyseni, Director General of the State Police Skënder Hita and Director General of KAYO Ardi Veliu.

Information, documentation and evidence will also be requested from structures responsible for the defense industry, arms trade, customs, port and airport authorities and border control.

Before the Commission, the opposition has also requested that former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj testify, as the person who made public the materials and allegations that led to the request for a parliamentary investigation.

The opposition also demands that this investigative commission administer the audio materials published on September 7 by former Deputy Prime Minister Ahmetaj and verify their origin, the time and circumstances of the recording, technical integrity, the identity of the persons being heard, and the consistency of their content with official documentation.

The undersigned MPs emphasize that this Investigative Commission will not determine criminal liability nor will it replace the Prosecutor's Office or other justice bodies. Its purpose, as requested, should remain parliamentary control of the activities of institutions and the determination of eventual political and institutional responsibilities.

The arguments on which 39 opposition MPs have supported the request for the establishment of a Parliamentary Investigation Commission were made public by former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, during a television interview the day before. He raised accusations of a suspected international arms trafficking scheme, also releasing several audio materials that, according to him, are related to this activity. At the center of Ahmetaj's allegations were businessman Ron Yefet, the company Timak Defense and what he described as the "KAYO concept".

Ahmetaj stated that weapons originating from African countries are brought to Albania, packaged and then sent to other countries. According to him, this circulation does not take place within the framework of Albania's official agreements with NATO or for the supply of Ukraine, so he described it as international arms trafficking.

Another part of the former deputy prime minister's denunciation was related to the financing of companies operating in the defense industry. Ahmetaj claimed that these companies have benefited from public funds through procedures without tender. In the interview, he specifically focused on Timak Defense, for which he stated that it received advances from the state budget and raised questions about the capital invested by private shareholders.

The former deputy prime minister also mentioned a case where Italian authorities had seized missiles, which he said came from Greece and could have links to Albania.

The request of 39 MPs has now been addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Niko Peleshi, while the matter is expected to go through parliamentary procedures for the review of the request for the establishment of an Investigative Committee.


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