The United States has announced today harsh economic sanctions against former Albanian MP Aqif Rakipi and businessman Ylli Ndroqi.
US imposes economic sanctions on former Albanian MP Aqif Rakipi and well-known businessman Ylli Ndroqi
The United States has announced today harsh economic sanctions against former Albanian MP Aqif Rakipi and businessman Ylli Ndroqi. In the letter made public by the US Treasury Department, it is stated that organized crime remains an important issue in Albania and criminal actors remain influential in Albanian politics.
The US announcement further argues: “Aqif Rakipi is a notorious former MP from Elbasan, Albania, who has a detrimental and destabilizing influence on the political process in Albania. Rakipi has long been involved in organized crime and is closely associated with an Organized Crime Group, within which he has exercised political influence, including through corruption.
“Rakipi has used his political influence to appoint his friends to key public positions in Elbasan and Tirana. Rakipi lost his mandate as a member of the parliament after prosecutors confirmed his role in criminal activity under a pseudonym.”
While on Ylli Ndroqi it is reported: “Ndroqi is an Albanian media owner, whose assets were seized by the Albanian government in 2020 and 2021 for previous criminal activities. Ndroqi has used the media that were previously under his control to extort and blackmail Albanian citizens through demands for money and purchase of advertisements in exchange for not publishing negative articles in the media.
“Ndroqi also mediated bribes on behalf of an entity seeking to do business in Albania. Ndroqi has been responsible for or complicit in corruption, such as misappropriation of public property, expropriation of private property for personal or political gain.”
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