Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) is investigating allegations of forged deeds and money laundering connected to the sale of protected coastal land for a resort development involving Jared Kushner. The probe has led to an asset freeze and is occurring amid ongoing protests against the project over environmental concerns and claims of government corruption.
Case files reviewed by the Reuters news agency detail the investigation, which centers on land transferred in April to Albania Land Development, the entity associated with the Kushner-linked project. The files name Artur Shehu, a businessman based in Miami, as the seller.
Prosecutors allege that Shehu and his associates used proceeds from narcotics trafficking to purchase property in Albania, utilizing falsified titles to conceal the funds’ origin. In connection with the investigation, SPAK has frozen approximately 110 million euros ($126 million) in a notary’s account tied to the land sale. The agency has also issued arrest warrants for 20 individuals in a separate case involving accusations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
Reuters reported it found no evidence that Kushner or other project backers were aware of the allegations against Shehu at the time of the land transaction.
Kujtim Cakrani, a lawyer representing Shehu, denied the allegations in a statement to Reuters. Cakrani said that his client was not involved in trafficking or document forgery and that the land, held by his family since the Ottoman era, was sold lawfully. He further stated that the arrest warrant was influenced by political and business interests. According to Cakrani, Shehu received asylum in the United States in 1998 after his brother and uncle were killed amid gang violence.
The proposed development, which includes plans for hotels and villas, is located on coastal wetlands that serve as a habitat for sea turtles and flamingos. The project has prompted regular protests in Tirana since May. Demonstrators, who have adopted the flamingo as their symbol, initially focused on the resort’s environmental impact but have since broadened their demands to include the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over accusations of corruption.
Recent demonstrations have resulted in confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. Riot police utilized tear gas and water cannons during a protest outside parliament, which led to reports of 15 injured officers and 25 arrests. A Tirana court subsequently released 19 of the detained individuals.
In addition to the SPAK investigation and public protests, local villagers have pursued a separate, decade-long legal challenge to Shehu’s ownership claim. They assert that title deeds and tax records establish their rightful ownership of the land.
The Albanian government has responded to the protests by stating they are organized by political opponents. Government officials maintain that the resort project is in compliance with both Albanian and European Union law.
 investigate a land sale for a Kushner-backed resort over forged deed and money laundering allegations. A related asset freeze and protests are ongoing.){kind=link}