Fired Albanian Minister says PM Rama took revenge for cannabis comments
The fired Albanian Minister of Justice, Ylli Manjani, accused Prime Minister Edi Rama for taking revenge for his media comments on cannabis production and trafficking in the country.
Manjani has openly criticized Albanian government and especially Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri about the growing concern of drugs production in Albania and police’s failure to arrest Klement Balili, an international fugitive wanted on accusations of being part of an international network of drug trafficking.
Manjani said that the decision to sack him from the office was taken after his comments on media without the permission of Endri Fuga, who is Rama’s Director of Communications.
“If you speak out with Fuga’s permission, you are fired. If you voice your thoughts, you are fired. Stay calm, give a tender or concession and you are fine,” Manjani said.
Manjani said that the pressure on Albanian Parliamentary Speaker Ilir Meta, who is the chairman of the party he adheres – Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) – to accept the decision to fire him grew immediately after he made the comments about the wide spread of cannabis in Albania.
Manjani said that foreign services requested from Rama to fire Interior Minister, Saimir Tahiri, but the Prime Minister has decided to fire him.
“While my name was associated with Klement Balili, Rama’s ministers were sleeping with their lovers at Santa Quaranta,” Manjani said, speaking about the hotel owned by Balili.
Manjani said he was informed through the media that he was fired.
The Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) is the small partner of Albanian ruling coalition led by Socialist Party, since 2013. The rift between to partner parties has grown during the last weeks with key figures accusing each other of corruption. /tvklan.al