Former President Ilir Meta has sent a letter to the head of SPAK, Klodjan Braho, requesting that a new request not be filed with the American authorities to extend the deadline for not making public information related to the contract between LSI and the GSIS company.
In his letter, Meta emphasizes that on June 23, 2026, the deadline set by the US court, which prohibits the publication of documents on the contractual relationship between LSI and GSIS, expires, following a previous request by the US Department of Justice.
He argues that any new request for an extension would harm his defense in the judicial process that is currently in the trial phase on the merits at the GJKKO.
Meta adds that the concealment of documents for a period of two years has, according to him, prevented the verification of evidence and the control of their legality, claiming that this has violated the right to effective defense and raised suspicions of political influence in the process.
He also accuses Prime Minister Edi Rama of putting pressure on justice institutions, mentioning the case of former FBI agent Charles McGonigal as part of his argument for political interference in Albania.
Regarding the contract of February 3, 2016 between LSI and GSIS, Meta states that it is registered under Albanian and American legislation, and according to him does not pose a risk to national security. He adds that the documentation clearly shows the persons responsible for payments and authorizations, while emphasizing that he himself did not sign any payment or financial authorization.
FULL LETTER:
Dear Mr. Klodjan Braho, Director of SPAK,
Wishing you success in your duty as Head of SPAK, I am obliged to ask for your attention to a very important issue, which is not only related to the standards of investigation and trial against my person, which have been very seriously and deliberately violated, but especially to prevent the destruction not only of the ongoing due process, but also to remove any shadow of doubt of the non-transparent, illegal and inappropriate influences of international assistance in the case of investigations against me and in particular in relations with the United States of America, which must be transparent and trustworthy.
More specifically, on June 23, 2026, the deadline set by a US court in implementation of the request initiated by the Albanian Ministry of Justice, for GSIS to not provide any information to LSI or others regarding the services and payments made between the two parties under the contract of February 3, 2016 registered in the US and Albania, in full respect of the anti-corruption laws of the US and our country, expires.
Not only that, but in this response to the Albanian Ministry of Justice, it is written that if the Albanian authorities need an extension of the 2-year period of non-disclosure of information, they can request it with detailed explanations.
This response dated July 15, 2024 (letter attached), sent by e-mail to Ms. Alba Thoma, Director General of the Ministry of Justice from the Director of the US Department of Justice, Mr. Vaughn A. Ary and Prosecutor Mr. Michael E. Eaton, of course comes in response to specific requests made by the Albanian side.
First of all, I ask you, as the Director of SPAK, not to make a new request to postpone the publication of all information related to the GSIS-LSI contract, as this would make it impossible for me to effectively defend myself regarding the charges raised in this matter, while the case has already been heard on the merits.
Likewise, since SPAK conducts its external jurisdictional actions through the Ministry of Justice, which is controlled by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has publicly ordered my arrest from the tribune of the Socialist Party Assembly (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xv6sZS4s4), we want to avoid any further political influence from the Albanian Government, which would not only prevent the full clarification of this issue, but would also make it impossible for me to effectively defend this issue during the trial on the merits.
Such a situation would also seriously compromise Albania-US relations, as the corruption of former senior FBI agent Charles McGonigal by Prime Minister Rama for the services he performed against opposition leaders, but also the President of the Republic of Albania, Ilir Meta, during the years 2017-2020, has been proven for years by American courts.
Likewise, Charles McGonigal's former partner, Ms. Allison Guerriero, who played a role in denouncing the Rama-McGonigal corrupt ties, has recently made public several times the pressure exerted on her by McGonigal's colleagues at the Department of Justice to remain silent about his ties with Prime Minister Rama.
While guaranteeing you that the Agreement of February 3, 2016, between LSI and GSIS, which is not only registered under the anti-corruption laws of the US and Albania, but is also public, does not violate anything related to our national security or that of the US, but is very common, I emphasize the importance of not making another request by SPAK to the American authorities as this would mark a serious scandal in the jurisdictional relations between Albania and the US, as it would not serve the fight against corruption, but would create complicity in concealing corruption (if it has occurred).
In my opinion, the first request was also absurd, since accusing a political leader like the President of the Freedom Party (LSI), for whom there is no signature, payment authorization or subcontracting, as in the case of GSIS, and making it impossible for him to mount an effective defense for at least 2 years until June 23, 2026, since he is artificially prevented from providing evidence that exonerates him from the charges, or from having the opportunity to check the legality of the evidence alleged by the charges, including their authenticity, means knowingly destroying the due process of law for political purposes.
It has been and remains clear to me that the sole purpose of such an absurd request was to artificially deprive me of the right to effective defense for these largely unfounded accusations, especially before the elections of May 11, 2025.
I want to assure you that this unprecedented procedural and institutional arbitrariness was deliberately orchestrated as they know very well that in the contract signed on February 3, 2016 between LSI and GSIS, the responsibility and individualization of every person at LSI, to whom invoices for services were sent by GSIS, is completely verifiable, as is the individualization of every person at LSI, who authorized any payment to GSIS.
There remain two main possibilities for this artificial blockage of transparency and access to original evidence.
The first possibility is that certain individuals in the SMI have committed irregular actions without the knowledge of Ilir Meta and, through the blockade of transparency, have been taken under the protection of the prosecutors of the case for the political interests of the ruling party for the elections of May 11, 2025.
The second possibility is that the Agreement of February 3, 2016 was modified (changed) with the consent of both parties, but absolutely without the knowledge of Ilir Meta and therefore the intention is to keep it and its potential signatories secret.
Of course, we could also have a third chance, for the prosecutors in the case to call the next bluff with McGonagall's colleagues, who may still be left in the Justice Department offices.
Here I have in mind the accusation against me for lobbying with the "McKeon Group", when another response came from the American authorities in September 2024 before my arrest and another response came on the same issue after the US elections on November 4, 2024 and precisely on November 15, 2024 (after my arrest) where it was specified that the LSI had not made any other payment to either "Dorelita" or "McKeon Group", except for the $15,000 payment legally and through the bank in January 2017. (Attached is the letter from the President of the "McKeon Group" to the Department of Justice on January 30, 2017)
I mentioned the term bluff because this new response from the American judicial authorities was not only never announced to us until after the parliamentary elections of May 11, 2025, but surprisingly on January 7, 2025, in the presence of the lawyer, Mr. Genc Gjokutaj, I was asked again at SPAK about the "McKeon Group" and "Dorelita" case, while the exhaustive response had come from the US two months earlier.
And to convince you that I have no emotional baggage or prejudice towards the prosecutors in the case, please just read the letter they sent to the American authorities on March 11, 2025, informing them that the defendant Ilir Meta was proven to have used three American bank cards.
Of course, you can also read the response of the American authorities on who the "sole user" is, that is, the only user of the bank cards, as well as the places where it was used, which have nothing to do with me.
I do not want to take up any more of your time from your many commitments, but I am obliged to write to you about this matter due to your function as Head of SPAK and its main representative in relations with international partners.
I believe my request is also in the interest of fully clarifying this matter and holding accountable anyone who has violated Albanian and American laws, including Ilir Meta, but only based on the legality of the evidence, which has been impossible so far due to the blocking of transparency by the prosecutors in the case.
