Albanian prosecutors are investigating whether the deeds to a stretch of protected coastline earmarked for a Jared Kushner-backed resort were forged, according to case files reviewed by Reuters.
The files, compiled by Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime, name Artur Shehu, a Miami-based businessman, as the seller who transferred the land to Albania Land Development, the entity behind the Kushner-linked scheme.
Prosecutors allege Shehu and his associates funneled proceeds from cocaine trafficking into Albanian property, using falsified titles to disguise the money’s origin. They have frozen roughly 110 million euros ($126 million) tied to the sale in a notary’s account.
Reuters found no evidence that Kushner, Sazan Real Estate Development, or other backers of the resort knew of any suspicions surrounding Shehu when the land changed hands.
The Seller’s Defense
Shehu’s lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, rejected the allegations outright. “Nothing that has been alleged regarding Mr Artur Shehu’s character is true,” he told Reuters.
Cakrani said Shehu was untroubled by the arrest warrant, arguing it was widely assumed in Albania that prosecutors answered to political and business interests. He also said Shehu fled to the United States and won asylum in 1998 after gang violence killed his brother and uncle.
The Protests
The disclosure comes amid sustained unrest over the development, which sits on wetlands and beaches along Albania’s southern coast that are home to sea turtles and flamingos. The flamingo has been adopted as a symbol by the self-styled “Flamingo Revolution” against the resort and alleged government corruption.
Nightly rallies that began in May have broadened into a wider movement demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation over accusations of corruption. A crackdown last week saw riot police deploy tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators outside parliament, injuring 15 officers and leading to 25 arrests.
Entela Koja, one of the protesters, said “This is a revolution against the big guys who want to use Albania like a playground for the rich.”
The Land Dispute
Villagers near the site have separately pursued a decade-long legal challenge to Shehu’s ownership claim, presenting title deeds and tax records they say establish that they are the rightful owners.
Nikolin Markpalaj, one of the landowners, told Al Jazeera: “I told them it would not be easy for them to take this land and enjoy someone else’s land and property. What is happening in this country is madness.”
Rama’s government has dismissed the protests as orchestrated by political rivals and insists the project complies with Albanian and European Union law.
The Bottom Line
Albanian prosecutors are investigating whether forged deeds were used to transfer land for a Jared Kushner-backed resort along the country’s protected coastline. The investigation has frozen roughly $126 million linked to the sale. The seller, Artur Shehu, denies the allegations. The development has sparked months of street protests, with demonstrators demanding the prime minister’s resignation over corruption allegations. Villagers have also challenged the land sale in court.
