Investigative journalist Lindita Çela, invited to the show "Të Paekspozuarit", regarding the meeting held in Aruba, where it is alleged that Rama government officials met in 2019 with organized crime figures.
Çela stated that there is no evidence linking Prime Minister Rama to this meeting, while calling the opposition's attempt to turn the Italian journalist's book into a battle, adding sensational facts, as wrong, as it takes the focus off money laundering through the towers, which the opposition does not even talk about. Çela stated that money laundering is a fundamental problem, which is also evidenced by international law enforcement agencies.
"The journalist's book does not only talk about the Aruba episode, but a series of Albanian exponents who have had a certain role and activity in Italy and EU countries. The journalist has obtained the files of court decisions, decisions of law enforcement institutions, preliminary investigations and has made this cycle of writings, there are over 10 important characters, Albanian exponents.
To focus on the Aruba meeting, I published it on shteg.org, I skipped the publication of this meeting, because I was aware and know the journalist for his serious work. Sometimes in other media, Albania is unfairly labeled, in tabloid journalism, but as I followed the process, the journalist referred to the documents.
The Aruba meeting took place, but in my opinion, I think it does the prime minister a disservice by linking it to similar statements, because there is no evidence that directly links the prime minister of the country. The opposition has all the mechanisms and forms to request an investigation, to further the work of a journalist. You cannot take an article or book and turn it into an opposition battle. You cannot win against organized crime. There are records of meetings, characters are also mentioned, the meeting took place in January 2019. The journalist does not mention Black Eagle or hours.
The data is confirmed by Europol and German or Italian law enforcement agencies. Most of the conversations are included due to investigations that have had specific characters, they talk about a meeting. More than the connections that the opposition makes to the meeting, I want to turn the discussion around, that towers are being built in this country, and unfortunately the opposition does not talk about towers either. It is in all international reports, in all reports of law enforcement bodies, the construction of towers is the main way of money laundering. From the journalist's interviews, it is about a tower in the center of Tirana, permission has been granted.
The people involved in the meeting are connected to certain businesses, but the journalist, based on the information and files he has read, or the environmental wiretaps, says and describes the meeting and how others talk about the meeting, but they are people who are connected to each other. There is talk of investments in towers. I would like the opposition to have a discussion regarding the investments of organized crime in Albania, not a single individual. The journalist raises the connection that the representative of the Rama government participated in the meeting.
"The journalist does not undertake to say that this is the absolute truth, but insisted on a comment from Prime Minister Rama," Çela said, among other things.
