Zafar Ansar: My introduction to Argita Berisha

But what is Mr.Ansar’s position on this history that started in 2007? He lives in Sweden, and Top Channel was able to interview him through Skype. He was asked about his version of the correspondence and how the cooperation with Berisha’s daughter had started.

Zafar Ansar says that his first visit to Albania was when a friend of his was serving as the Paki ambassador to Rome, also covering Albania. He was invited to accompany the Ambassador when he would hand over the credentials to the Albanian President.

Mr.Ansar says that his company mostly operates in finance and energy projects. He wanted to buy the savings bank in Albania, but the project was not realized, since the Ministry of Finances owns 40% of the shares. Ansar declared that he started exploring the opportunities to invest in the energy area.

Top Channel’s journalist Muhamed Veliu had an interview with Mr. Ansar.

Veliu: How did you meet Mr. Berisha and what did you discuss?

Ansar: The meeting was organized by the Albanian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. I met the Prime Minister to inform him about my plan to build a 12 MW thermal power station. The Prime Minister was happy to hear about this project and declared that he would make everything possible, adding that he hoped I would cooperate with good people in Albania. I thanked him by saying that the pleasure was mine.

Veliu: How did you make the acquaintance of Mr.Admir Banaj in Saudi Arabia?

Ansar: In 2007, Pakistan organized Islamic Foreign Ministers Conference in Islamabad. Albania was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Edith Harxhi. Mr.Admir, Albanian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was part of the delegation. This is when I met him for the first time.

Veliu: Who introduced you to Argita Berisha’s legal firm?

Zafar Ansar: The meeting was organized by Mr.Admir, Albanian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Veliu: Have you met Argita Berisha personally?

Zafar Ansar: Several times.

Veliu: Did she promise anything?

Ansar: We showed our interests. I spoke about the lack of electric power in Albania and my also interest to build a thermal power station. She said that this was something that Albania needed and encouraged.

Veliu: How can you describe the correspondence with her?

Ansar: You have all the e-mails in which we discuss how to progress with the project. She advised me that we should prepare an offer for KESH. We did that and that’s how it started.

Veliu: Did you have any kind of impression that Argita was using her status as the Prime Minister’s daughter to fulfil your requests?

Ansar: The fact that she was the Prime Minister’s daughter removed every doubt of mine that she would certainly use her influence so that I could reach my objective without any problems. That’s why I agreed to work with her.

Veliu: Did you have any kind of pressure o buy the land on which you had interest to build?

Ansar: At first I didn’t know that she had interest in selling the offered land. She asked me if I wanted to buy land, and what was the space that I was requiring. I told her that I needed land for building the station. I explained the details through an e-mail. She informed me that the land was ready and that I should act fast, because the opportunity would not last. The land was inadequate, without the necessary infrastructure, very expensive and didn’t fulfil my needs. I informed her that it was still early for me to buy land. The project should be approved first and then I should invest millions to buy the land. She said that the project approval was no problem. Read the e-mails and you will reach your own conclusions. Buying the land was a good chance for me to progress, but I had pressures and so I refused. After this I was told that the project for the 120 MW thermal power station could have problems. Then I had received no further communication from the Albanian Power Corporation. I could not believe how the opportunity for building a thermal power station was ignored like that. It could facilitate the people’s demand for electricity. I saw that as a lost chance to have a 100 million EUR investment.

Veliu: What is your comment regarding Flutura Kola’s request, partner in Argita’s legal firm, which says on 6 October 2007 that if you want the investment to be successful, you need to pay the legal firm from 1% to 3% of the total investment value.

Ansar: The project’s value goes up to 100 million EUR. It sounded strange that a legal company, besides its normal fees, would charge for “success of the investment”, despite the 100% guarantee for reaching my goal. The common practice in Europe is to pay lawyers for their hourly work. They don’t demand a “success fee”. On this case it was clear that since she was the Prime Minister’s daughter, she could find a way to do that.

Veliu: What were the reasons that you withdrew from the investment?

Ansar: I didn’t withdraw, but I was told that I couldn’t receive a permit for building the power station. The only reason I can think of is because I refused to buy the land with that price. I was sorry that I couldn’t realize a 100 million EUR investment.

Veliu: After you published your correspondence on the Albanian media, have you been contacted by anyone to deny the content of the e-mails?

Ansar: When my e-mails were published, Mr.Admir Banaj asked me to sue the journalist. I told him that I had not intention to get involved in Albania’s domestic politics. He didn’t step back and made generous offers. He introduced me to a lawyer in Tirana who was ready to take the case, with a very high price. I told Mr.Admir that I didn’t want it, and he got angry. He used his influence at the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office to remove my title “Albania’s Consul of Honour in Pakistan”.

Veliu: You are suggesting that the title was removed so that you could not continue this project in Albania, after you interrupted the cooperation with the Prime Minister’s daughter?

Ansar: What else could it be? It wasn’t right that they were forcing me to say things. The Ambassador wanted me to say that things were OK, so that one or another could benefit. I rejected these requests.

Top Channel