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Special report
On 29 October 2026 Parliament passed a new Bank of Albania law. Under it, the Governor, Gent Sejko, can only be arrested or searched with Parliament's approval. The government says this is an EU requirement. Critics say it shields him from SPAK. This page sets out what the law says, what was happening at SPAK when it passed, what the Bank has done with euro and lek, and the questions that remain. Our own reading is marked as such. A suspicion is not a finding.
Why the immunity? The EU explanation does not account for the key choice: the final law moved the arrest decision from the Constitutional Court to Parliament, where the majority that appointed the Governor decides. The timing, during an active SPAK file on the Bank's own supervision department, points to protection from prosecution as at least one purpose. No document proves it.
Whose money? No evidence found shows the Governor cleaning anyone's money. The concern is the system he oversees: euro cash with no recorded source, exchange offices that were rarely inspected (97 of 503 in 2019), property bought with cash, and fiscal amnesty plans the European Commission warned about. If drug money enters Albania, these are the channels it would use.
What is he doing with euro and lek? The Bank buys euro to build reserves and slow the lek's rise, but not enough to stop it. A strong lek helps people holding lek or converting euro cash into lek property, and hurts exporters, tourism workers paid in lek and families living on euro remittances. Whether that is policy or protection is the question the immunity now makes harder to investigate.
| Year | ALL/€ |
|---|---|
| 2015 | ≈140 |
| 2017 | 133.6 |
| 2018 | 122.7 |
| 2023 | ≈104 |
| 2025 | ≈98 |
| Jun 2026 | 94.3 |
| Oct 2026 | 91.7 |
| Year | €m |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 463 |
| 2024 | 933 |
| 2025 | 1 027 |
| H1 2026 | 664 |
These are possible explanations, not findings. Each lists the evidence for and against.
The law shields Governor Sejko from the SPAK microcredit case (existing or expected)
The timing fits: a SPAK investigation has run since 2024 with the Governor named; GJKKO returned the file to SPAK in Feb 2026; devices of the Supervision Department were seized; then a draft in July and a passed law on 29 Oct that limits coercive measures against the Governor for duty-linked offences. Standard.al says the law was passed urgently after SPAK's investigation and the seizure. The protected group in the law is the same group the probe focuses on. The law also gives the Governor a parliamentary filter before arrest or search, which would matter most if SPAK moved on him.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The clause is a genuine step toward ECB / EU central-bank standards (Protocol No. 7 logic)
The Commission says that after accession, Article 72 will be applied in line with Protocol No. 7 privileges for a governor who sits on an ECB body. The July draft cites TFEU and Protocol No. 4 (ESCB Statute) as the EU basis. Governors of euro-area central banks do have immunity for acts in official capacity. So a clause of this type has an EU model, and Albania's government says it aligns with EU central banks.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The package protects monetary, FX and reserve decisions from audit or legal challenge
The same law limits the Supreme State Audit so that it cannot assess monetary policy, macroprudential decisions or FX reserve management (Ekofin). It also removes the government's power to suspend Supervisory Council members and adds classification powers for confidential information (Oculus/BIRN). The Bank has been buying large amounts of euros in 2025-2026 (earlier laundering file: EUR 663.6m in H1 2026, reported). A central bank that is hard to audit or sue over FX purchases is a possible result of the package. This is an inference from the audit limit, not from any source that connects the two.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The clause is mainly political cover for the government and Prime Minister Rama (opposition claim)
Berisha says the measure protects Rama and his circle. Gjiknuri (PS) asked for the protection to be placed in the Constitution, and the vote was passed by the governing majority only, with the PM leaving the chamber after the vote. The speaker expelled four opposition MPs during the same session. None of this shows that the law protects Rama, but it fits a pattern of concentrated control.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The law strengthens central-bank independence from the executive, while the Assembly gate keeps the majority in control of the Governor
Two parts of the law point toward more independence: the government can no longer suspend Supervisory Council members or propose their dismissal, and the Bank becomes subject to procurement law from 2028 (its exemption ends). The arrest-protection part does not come from the Constitutional Court but from the Assembly, the body that a parliamentary majority controls. The result may be less protection from courts and more from the majority. Which effect dominates cannot be decided from the sources read.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Bank sales approved under the governor's watch favoured buyers with political ties
The Bank of Albania approves who may own a bank through its Supervisory Council, which the governor chairs. Between 2018 and 2021 it approved several large sales of foreign-owned banks in Albania to local or regional buyers (Tirana Bank to Balfin and Komercijalna; NBG Albania to ABI, owned by Tranzit; Veneto Banca to Intesa; Societe Generale Albania and Alpha Bank Albania to OTP). Critics could argue that a small set of local groups received preferential access. The pattern is only a pattern: the sales are standard European and Greek restructurings with several regulators involved.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Concentration of licensing power in the governor's chairmanship creates a conflict-of-interest risk
The governor is elected by Parliament on the President's proposal, chairs the Supervisory Council that licenses banks and approves owners, and also presents the Bank's public line on the lek and monetary policy. The same person's own career (Societe Generale Albania, American Bank of Albania, Raiffeisen, NCB) overlaps with the sector he regulates. Structural safeguards (independent council members, public reasons for decisions) may be weak. This is a governance hypothesis, not a finding of wrongdoing.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Near-unanimous Parliament votes on the governor (2015: 105-3-4; 2022: 103-1-1) suggest an informal PS-opposition deal
Both votes were lopsided. If the PS and the main opposition (PD) agreed beforehand, the central bank's top job could have been traded as part of wider political bargaining. The votes alone do not show a deal; they may also reflect that the governor's record was accepted across parties.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Exchange-office supervision was too thin to catch cash-based laundering
The 2019 supervisory review inspected 97 of 503 exchange offices (about 19 percent). Prosecutors later found unlicensed exchange and money-transfer operators in several cities. Cash-heavy, lightly supervised outlets are a known laundering channel. The hypothesis is that inspection coverage was too low to detect it. It does not say which office, which person, or that anyone was protected.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Large euro cash inflows from crime keep the lek strong
A strong lek needs more euro supply than demand. Euro-denominated savings, the cash economy and the scale of informal activity (Preci: informality 35-50%) mean that unrecorded inflows could exist. The Bank's own purchases (EUR 463m in 2018, about EUR 933m in 2024, about EUR 1.03bn in 2025, EUR 663.6m in H1 2026) show that euro supply is large. Whether any of it is crime money is the open question. SPECULATION: the claim that crime money is a significant share of the supply is not measured anywhere in the sources reviewed.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The Bank's sized and timed euro purchases let the lek stay strong, which favours lek holders and people converting euro cash into lek assets, and costs exporters and remittance families
The Bank buys euro to build reserves and 'smooth' the market, and describes this as not setting the rate. In 2018 it bought to slow the lek's rise but then stopped in Q4. In 2024-2026 it bought large amounts but framed them as reserve-building, with most in direct purchases that are not in the published auction calendar. A stronger lek makes lek assets (including real estate) cheaper in euro terms for those who already hold euro, and makes exports and euro income less valuable in lek. SPECULATION: that the Bank's choices are deliberate and that they favour a specific group. The sources show effects, not intent.
Evidence for
Evidence against
The fiscal amnesty or fiscal peace is designed to legalise criminal money
The 2022 draft let residents and emigrants declare undeclared assets up to EUR 2m, regardless of income source, with no tax-compliance conditions the Commission found convincing. The European Commission said it 'would weaken' AML controls and the IMF opposed it. The 2025-2026 'fiscal peace' is described by the government as not an amnesty, but critics call it one. SPECULATION: intent to launder. The documents show a design that could legalise undeclared money, not a stated purpose.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Construction and real estate absorb unexplained inflows and push up prices (parked money)
Real estate is the most-cited channel in every source: MONEYVAL (2018) named it as most exposed; the UNECE profile (2024) links laundering to Tirana prices; FIA cited three real-estate cases in 2024; 139 tower projects were approved in a decade (Citizens/OBCT, 2026); many apartments are reported empty. SPECULATION: that the money is crime money rather than legitimate emigrant or tourist savings. Market sources say many apartments are bought to 'park money'.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Exchange offices and hawala convert crime cash into lek or euro at scale
Exchange offices grew from 356 (2014) to 640 (around 2024); the Bank has revoked 132 licences in 2021-2024; prosecutors describe licensed offices used as informal banks; commissions of 6-15% via hawala and crypto. A mechanism exists for cash to enter the formal FX market without passing through banks. SPECULATION: that this is a large volume channel. The sources describe a handful of cases.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Official gross inflow figures overstate net foreign currency supply because outflows and informal flows are not netted
The government's case rests on gross flows (EUR 8.5bn in 2026 per Ibrahimaj). Albanian residents spend about EUR 3.06bn abroad, according to Beqiraj's citation, and the BoP errors-and-omissions line moves both ways. If outflows and informal money are not netted, the 'explanation' of the lek's strength is incomplete. SPECULATION: that netting alone would close much of the gap. It may not; the IMF's fundamentals view may still hold after netting.
Evidence for
Evidence against
Bank of Albania finds 713 million lek missing from reserve storage
Discovered under Governor Ardian Fullani. The key holder later confessed; he was sentenced in 2015. Sejko not involved.
Source: Top Channel · 2014
Governor Ardian Fullani and Inspector General Elivar Golemi arrested for abuse of office linked to a 713 million lek theft
Police arrested the Governor and the Inspector General. The charges were abuse of office and the theft of about 713 million lek by a Bank employee. Five weeks earlier, the employee had admitted stealing over four years. Parliament dismissed Fullani. A court later acquitted him of abuse of office (Central Banking, Reuters syndication; date unconfirmed).
Source: RFE/RL · 5 Sep 2014
Gent Sejko takes office as Governor of the Bank of Albania
Parliament elected Sejko after the 2014 scandal. The vote count reported in one search summary was 105 for, 3 against, 4 abstentions; not checked against the Kuvendi record.
Source: Shqiptarja · Feb 2015
Parliament appoints Gent Sejko Governor of the Bank of Albania
On a presidential decree (Bujar Nishani). The economy committee backed it unanimously; plenary reported 105 for, 3 against, 4 abstentions.
Source: Bank of Albania · 5 Feb 2015
Governor Sejko: no BoA data on euro cash outside banks; no sign of drug-proceeds imbalance yet
In a local TV interview published on the central bank's site (reprinted by Tirana Times), Governor Gent Sejko said the BoA has no information on euro or dollar cash circulating outside banks. He said the lek's strength was within target and showed no macro imbalances from drug proceeds 'so far', while asking that social imbalances be monitored. Figures in the same interview: cash outside banks 255bn lek (about EUR 1.9bn, 20% of money in circulation); euro deposits and loans EUR 4bn (about half of savings and credit); police destroyed 2.5m cannabis plants in 2016 across 213 ha; over EUR 8m in suspected laundering transfers seized in 2016; EUR 16m of criminal-origin real estate seized.
Source: Tirana Times (reprint of Bank of Albania interview) · 6 Dec 2017
National Bank of Greece agrees to sell NBG Albania to American Bank of Investments
Subject to Bank of Albania and Competition Authority approval.
Source: SeeNews · 2 Feb 2018
Bank of Albania approves NBG Albania sale to ABI (per ABI statement)
ABI says the Bank of Albania approved on 6 June 2018 and the deal closed afterwards. Search summary; BoA decision not checked.
Source: American Bank of Investments · 2018
BoA buys euro to stop the lek strengthening; 2018 total EUR 463m (record)
After the euro fell from about 134 to about 124 lek in early June 2018, the Bank bought euro via auctions and from second-tier banks (51.40m from 6 June, 13.90m on 5 June) and under an EBRD exchange agreement (116.22m). The Supervisory Council on 6 June 2018 set EUR 114.55m of Q3 purchases to stop the lek strengthening. In Q4 2018, purchases were for reserves only. The 2018 full-year total was EUR 463m (record). Shqiptarja (1 Apr 2019) says the purpose was mainly to slow the euro's fall, offset capital conversions by banks and an EBRD loan conversion.
Source: Shqiptarja · 1 Apr 2019
Balance of payments 'errors and omissions': EUR 142m unexplained outflow in Q1 2018 (5% of GDP)
Top Channel, citing the BoA balance-of-payments errors-and-omissions line, reported EUR 142m of unexplained outflows in Q1 2018 (about 5% of GDP). The previous quarter (Oct-Dec 2017) showed an unexplained inflow of about EUR 50m. Q1 2018 trade deficit was EUR 354m. The article quotes the BoA as saying the funds were ones it could not identify. The 2 directions show that errors and omissions do not measure one-way crime money.
Source: Top Channel · 11 Aug 2018
Supervisory Council gives preliminary approval for Intesa Sanpaolo to absorb Veneto Banca Albania
BoA decision. Acquisition approved 1 Nov 2018.
Source: Bank of Albania · 6 Sep 2018
Competition Authority clears Tirana Bank sale to Balfin (Decision 580)
Concentration review for acquisition of 98.83 percent of Tirana Bank.
Source: Competition Authority of Albania · 17 Jan 2019
Bank of Albania Supervisory Council gives preliminary approval for Balfin and Komercijalna to acquire Tirana Bank
Balfin 88.95 percent, Komercijalna 9.88 percent of voting shares; conditional on Hellenic Financial Stability Fund approval.
Source: Bank of Albania · 6 Feb 2019
Piraeus completes sale of Tirana Bank to Balfin and Komercijalna Banka
Piraeus says it has the required Albanian (incl. BoA) and Greek (HFSF) approvals.
Source: Piraeus Holdings · 4 Mar 2019
OTP closes acquisition of Societe Generale Albania (later Banka OTP Albania)
Agreement Aug 2018; closing 29 March 2019 (BBJ). Sejko was then in the governor's office and had been deputy GM at SG Albania until 2015.
Source: Budapest Business Journal · Mar 2019
Base rate at historic low of 0.5%
The base rate was cut to 0.5% and held there from March 2020, after about eleven years of cuts. Exact decision dates for 2009-2019 were not found.
Source: bne IntelliNews · 2022
Shqiptarja reports Bank of Albania 2019 supervisory findings: 5 high-risk and 7 medium-risk banks on AML; 97 of 503 exchange offices inspected
Report year 2019. Governor not quoted in the article.
Source: Shqiptarja · 4 Jul 2020
Shqiptarja reports governor's 2019 asset declaration (16.5m lek income for the couple)
Declared salary-type income, seven real-estate entries and deposits. No loans reported for the governor.
Source: Shqiptarja · 8 Aug 2020
CJEU: ECB governing-body immunity does not cover acts outside official duties (e.g. corruption)
Bloomberg reports the EU Court of Justice ruling on the immunity of a national central bank governor who is an ECB governing-body member. The immunity does not apply to conduct outside official duties. Case number and Grand Chamber composition not confirmed in this run.
Source: Bloomberg · 30 Nov 2021
OTP signs agreement to buy Alpha Bank Albania for EUR 55m
Regulatory approvals needed; completed later (approval of absorption by BoA, date not confirmed).
Source: Retail Banker International · Dec 2021
Complaint against Governor Sejko filed with Tirana Prosecutor's Office (abuse of office, microcredit regulation change)
Filed by Tedi Malaveci, head of the Chamber of Private Enforcement Agents. The complainant alleges the Governor amended Bank regulation to favour microfinance companies. The exact filing date in 2022 is not given.
Source: Shqiptarja · 10 Jul 2024
Sejko re-appointed for second term
Re-elected Governor on 24 Feb 2022 (exit.al, Shqiptarja). One summary gives 103 for, 1 against, 1 abstention; not checked.
Source: exit.al · 24 Feb 2022
Parliament reappoints Gent Sejko for a second term (103 for, 1 against, 1 abstention)
Proposed by President Ilir Meta after the first term ended on 5 Feb 2022.
Source: Shqiptarja · 24 Feb 2022
BoA raises base rate 0.5 to 1.0%, its first hike in about a decade
Inflation was rising. Later 2022 moves took the rate to 2.75% by November 2022. Sources disagree on intermediate steps.
Source: bne IntelliNews · Nov 2022
European Commission: fiscal and penal amnesty draft 'would weaken' anti-money-laundering controls
Reported by Shqiptarja (5 Jul 2022). The draft covered undeclared assets up to EUR 2m, for Albanian residents and emigrants, regardless of source. The Commission said the draft 'would weaken' Albania's AML controls and would do little for future tax compliance. Non-resident Albanians, including those in the EU and Western Balkans, would be covered. The draft was put to public consultation (23 June 2022, per Monitor document). No deadline in the article.
Source: Shqiptarja · 5 Jul 2022
Euro hits 100.5 lek, historic low, while tourism peaks
BoA official rate 100.5 lek on a Thursday (Tirana Times dateline 23 Jul 2023). Euro down 14.1% y/y and 12% year-to-date. Pound 115.72, USD 89.61, CHF 104.46. Article lists causes (tourism, remittances, services exports, foreign property investment, tighter lek liquidity), leaves relative size unmeasured, and says illicit cash is a concern, not a finding. It also notes that summer tourism would normally weaken the euro, yet the euro fell anyway.
Source: Tirana Times · 23 Jul 2023
Gjokutaj: 35% of last year's FDI came from offshore companies; tourist cash goes informal
Eduart Gjokutaj, quoted by Shqiptarja on the day the euro hit 103.97 lek: a large share of tourist money goes to the informal economy and does not return to circulation; about 35% of foreign investment last year came from offshore companies; money laundering runs through banks; crypto is used for laundering; there is no accountability in the construction sector. Figure is his, not verified in this pass.
Source: Shqiptarja · 16 Nov 2023
Tirana prosecutors ask SPAK to investigate Governor Sejko over credit scheme
Headline: the Tirana Prosecutor's Office asked SPAK to investigate the Governor over a credit 'fraud' scheme; the Bank said it was ready to give clarifications. Body not read in full.
Source: Top Channel · 4 May 2024
BoA cuts base rate 25bp to 3.0%
First easing after the tightening cycle, per search summaries. Governor cited strong growth and falling inflation.
Source: Bank of Albania · 2024
GJKKO orders SPAK to investigate complaint against Governor Sejko (microcredit)
Carried from(Shqiptarja, 10 July 2024): the Tirana prosecutor's dismissal was declared invalid and the file sent back to SPAK. Allegation only. No mention of the immunity draft in the 2024 article.
Source: Shqiptarja · 10 Jul 2024
GJKKO annuls dismissal of the Sejko complaint and sends the file to SPAK
GJKKO judge Flora Hajredinaj declared the prosecutor's dismissal invalid and ordered SPAK to continue the inquiry. The Governor was absent from hearings before the other judge (Migena Laska), per the same article.
Source: Shqiptarja · 10 Jul 2024
Sejko tells parliament he is available to justice; says IMF recommended the bad-loan approach
Headline: Sejko says he is at the disposal of justice and that the measures were an IMF recommendation. A search summary says he filed a complaint on 30 May 2024; not confirmed in the article body.
Source: Shqiptarja · 18 Jul 2024
IMF mission positively assesses Bank of Albania supervision initiatives; a new FSAP to follow
Search summary of an IMF-related report; the mission report date and text not opened (the a2news page returned 403).
Source: IMF · 2025
Prosecutors and FIA describe exchange offices as channels for organised-crime cash
Tirana Times reports prosecutors' claims about licensed exchange offices in central Tirana (see case-copja-exchange-office-tirana). Exchange offices grew from 356 (2014) to 640 (about 2024). BoA drafting tighter rules; FIA flagged exchange businesses as high-risk.
Source: Tirana Times · 16 Oct 2025
Finance minister Malaj tells parliament the 'fiscal peace' is not an amnesty
Malaj said: 'We are not undertaking an amnesty' and 'through fiscal peace we do not forgive criminal liability'. The scheme covers 2026-2028 and aims to correct and increase regular declarations by businesses that join voluntarily; it is described as the last chance before tougher collection. Unpaid tax of evaders under criminal prosecution is not forgiven. The article does not quote a named critic. Whether the law passed was not confirmed (a 2026 budget vote lists a 'fiscal peace agreement' bill; the snippet does not show its outcome).
Source: Shqiptarja · 19 Nov 2025
Microcredit file returned to SPAK for further investigation; no trial on the merits
5pyetjet.al reports the file, with 27 people under investigation for fraud and about 4,000 bad loans worth about EUR 7 million, was sent back to SPAK for more investigation with a deadline. The Governor and Bank are not named in the article.
Source: 5pyetjet.al · 27 Feb 2026
Assembly rejects SPAK request to lift Balluku's immunity: 82 against, 47 for
Citizens.al (fetched): 47 for, 82 against, no abstentions, three majority MPs absent. Balkanweb agenda: simple majority. No 84 threshold in any opened source. Official Kuvendi record not checked in this run.
Source: Citizens.al · 12 Mar 2026
BoA holds base rate at 2.5%; deposit 1.5%, lending 3.5%
Official decision. The press release gives no reason tied to the exchange rate and does not mention FX purchases. Rate unchanged at subsequent meetings in May, June, August and October 2026 (per summaries).
Source: Bank of Albania · 25 Mar 2026
UNECE profile: money laundering a contributing factor to Tirana housing prices (as reported)
Balkanweb (17 May 2026) quotes the UNECE 2024 Country Profile as saying money laundering 'has been another contributing factor to the increase in housing prices in Tirana'. The same article says Tirana is one of seven major European cities with the highest housing unaffordability, and that the government has not acted on the report.
Source: Balkanweb · 17 May 2026
Draft law 'Për Bankën e Shqipërisë' (RENJK 1016) published for public consultation
Government draft on the proposal of the Council of Ministers, citing Constitution Articles 78, 81 para. 2 letter a and 83 para. 1. Neni 72 contains the Constitutional Court authorisation rule for the Governor and Deputy Governors. The draft cites TFEU and Protocol No. 4 on the ESCB as its EU basis; Protocol No. 7 is not cited in the draft's footnotes.
Source: Ministry of Finance (konsultimipublik.gov.al) · 15 Jul 2026
Draft entry into force: 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Neni 116)
Draft Neni 116: the law enters into force 15 days after publication in Fletorja Zyrtare, except Chapter XIV (on the date of Albania's EU accession) and Chapter XV (on the date of euro-area accession). Neni 72 (immunity) is in Chapter XIII, so under the draft it takes effect with the general rule: 15 days after publication. Neni 114 repeals Law 8269 of 23.12.1997 on entry into force of this law. This is the draft's text only; the adopted law's date is unknown.
Source: Ministry of Finance (konsultimipublik.gov.al) · 15 Jul 2026
Draft law RENJK 1016 published for consultation; Constitutional Court authorises arrest or search of Governor and deputies
The Council of Ministers' draft, published by the Ministry of Finance, has the Constitutional Court authorise arrest and searches of the Governor and Deputy Governors, with a two-week limit and deemed refusal. (Detail in the earlier file.)
Source: Ministry of Finance · 15 Jul 2026
Gazeta Tema (English): Albania's central bank seeks legal immunity for its officials
Reports the central bank pushing for protection of its top officials from arrest. Full article not read (site returned 403); date from the search result listing.
Source: Gazeta Tema · 17 Jul 2026
exit.al reports the draft immunity provision; no vote reported
exit.al (14:19, 23 July 2026, staff article, no byline): Governor and Deputies may not be arrested without Constitutional Court authorisation; two-week rule; deemed rejection. The article contains no quotes from the Bank, critics or experts, and does not mention the Assembly or a vote. It links the draft to the SPAK microcredit investigation opened July 2024 and says no closure has been announced.
Source: exit.al · 23 Jul 2026
Gazeta Tema: central bank chiefs may get immunity, as part of a wider EU-linked legal package
Reports that the government is drafting a legal shield for the Governor and deputies within an EU-linked reform package. Full text not read.
Source: Gazeta Tema · 9 Sep 2026
Laws Committee discusses Article 72; Socialist MP Gjiknuri raises concerns; PD MPs walk out
Gjiknuri (PS) argues the protection belongs in the Constitution and warns that ordinary law could bypass the hierarchy of norms. OCNAL (BIRN-based) reports that PD MPs walked out, leaving the provision without a documented opposition challenge in committee.
Source: Euronews Albania · 27 Oct 2026
Assembly approves Bank of Albania law with governor protection (reported, 84 votes)
Shekulli (29 Oct 2026) reports the Assembly approved the package including the Bank of Albania law with 84 votes for; against and abstain not stated; PM Rama present and left after the vote; provision: arrest and personal or home searches of the governor need prior Assembly authorisation when the case relates to his official function; the July draft had given this role to the Constitutional Court. CNA headline and Syri.net (Ina Zhupa interview, 29 Oct 2026) also describe the law as passed.
Source: Shekulli · 29 Oct 2026
Assembly adopts the law on the Bank of Albania by 84 votes (reported); opposition flares and expulsions
Euronews, Ekofin, Monitor, Reporter, Kohajone and OCNAL report the adoption. Vote: 84 in favour (Euronews: no votes against; OCNAL and some aggregators: 2 against). Euronews: 81 PS and 3 PSD. Qualified majority required. Opposition MPs set off smoke flares; Speaker Peleshi expelled Himçi, Kaso, Nallbati and Mziu. Rama left the chamber after the vote. The official Kuvendi vote record was not reached.
Source: Euronews Albania · 29 Oct 2026
Standard.al links the law to SPAK microcredit probe and device seizure; appeal hearing listed for 3 Nov
Standard.al says the law was passed after SPAK's investigation and the device seizure; names proceeding No. 91/2024; says SPAK's appeal to the High Court (case 61014-00839-00-2026) is listed for 3 Nov 2026. This is the only source found that ties the law to a named proceeding in the same article. Telegraf (headline) describes it as protection 'mes hetimeve të SPAK'.
Source: Standard (Syri TV source) · 29 Oct 2026
European Commission: Article 72 to apply with Protocol No. 7 after accession; assessed under Chapter 17
The Commission's reply to A2 CNN, reported by Koha Jonë and Fjala. It does not say the Commission requested the clause. Some outlets (Javanews, Gazeta Tema) report that the law 'got the green light' from the EU; the Commission text does not say that.
Source: Koha Jonë · 30 Oct 2026
Scheduled hearing on SPAK's appeal over seized devices of Bank Supervision Department officials
Listed for 3 Nov 2026 before the High Court panel named in Standard.al (Simoni, Panda, Binaj). Outcome not known at the time of writing (1 Nov 2026).
Source: Standard (Syri TV source) · 29 Oct 2026
MONEYVAL sixth-round report on Albania due for plenary adoption
On-site visit was 14-24 April 2026. The report is scheduled for discussion and adoption at the MONEYVAL plenary in December 2026. Albania was in enhanced follow-up after the fifth round (2018), which found enforcement weak, few money-laundering indictments, gambling and real estate as the most exposed sectors, and accountants and lawyers as vulnerable professions.
Source: Council of Europe · Apr 2026
Each claim is the speaker's own. Below it is what the documents found show.
Euronews Albania reports: 'Kuvendi miraton me 84 vota ndryshimet në ligjin për Bankën e Shqipërisë' (Assembly approves with 84 votes the changes to the law on the Bank of Albania). Supplied by the requester; not confirmed by any opened source.
What the documents show: The Euronews search page was fetched. It shows the page title 'You Kërkonied for Banka e Shqipërisë 84 vota - Euronews Albania' (wording as displayed, possibly garbled) but no article body, no date and no vote breakdown. The site search returned 'No results were found'. Web searches did not return the article. No Kuvendi record, Balkanweb, Shqiptarja, Gazeta Tema, Illyria or Monitor report of an adopted Bank of Albania law with 84 votes was found. The only Bank of Albania votes with 84 found in search summaries are: election of Merita Bejtja as Inspector General (84 for, 23 against, 1 abstention; date and URL not confirmed) and a Supervisory Council appointment rejected with 104 against (search summary only). The 15 July 2026 draft is listed as a consultation document, not a tabled bill. The draft's text and legal basis do not record a vote.
Source: Euronews Albania · unknown
CNA headline (supplied by requester): 'Kuvendi miraton ligjin e ri: imunitet për guvernatorin e BSH nga arresti' (Assembly approves the new law: immunity for the BSH governor from arrest).
What the documents show: No CNA article was found in any search. Search results for 'imuniteti nga arresti guvernatori BSH CNA Kuvendi' returned no relevant Albanian article. The search summaries describe the immunity provision only as a draft, with no reported vote. The article URL is not available, so this claim cannot be checked further.
The 84 figure: 140 seats times three-fifths gives 84. Constitution Article 81 para. 2 requires approval by three-fifths of all Assembly members for a list of categories, including laws on the organisation and operation of the institutions provided for in the Constitution (listed first in the Constitute Project summary). The Bank of Albania draft cites Article 81 para. 2 letter a as a basis.
What the documents show: Constitute Project text (fetched): Article 81 para. 2 'The following are approved by three-fifths of all members of the Assembly', followed by nine categories. Article 81 letter a is not shown in the fetched text; the mapping of 'first category = letter a' is inferred from the draft citation. Article 161 (fetched): the Bank of Albania is the central state bank; the Governor is elected by the Assembly for 7 years on the President's proposal, with re-election. Article 78 para. 1: the Assembly decides by majority of votes in presence of more than half its members, unless the Constitution requires a qualified majority. Balkanweb (opened in an earlier run) states the Balluku agenda item needed a simple majority. The draft cites Article 81(2)(a) as its basis, which by the Constitute list means a three-fifths threshold (84 of 140) for the bill as drafted. The final vote threshold of any adopted law has not been checked.
Source: Constitute Project · 2016
Zef Preci
Informality is 35-50% of the economy; circulation of informal money has pushed up the lek's value; Bank of Albania policy has failed; construction is expected to slow because of large informal and criminal money; the exchange rate is set by supply and demand, not by tourist numbers.
What the documents show: The 35-50% informality range is an estimate with no source named in the search summary. The claim that informal money pushed the lek up is a hypothesis, not measured.
Source: Shqiptarja · unknown
European Commission
The Commission: after accession, Article 72 will be applied in line with the privileges and immunities of Protocol No. 7 that the Governor has as a member of an ECB body; the law is assessed under Chapter 17.
What the documents show: No source found in which the European Commission, the ECB or the IMF asked Albania for a governor-immunity clause. The Commission reply describes the clause as something to be applied after accession, not as a requirement. The July draft cited TFEU and Protocol No. 4 (ESCB Statute), not Protocol No. 7. The IMF 2025 Article IV press release and the 2018 IMF working paper summary say nothing about immunity for a governor.
Source: Koha Jonë · 30 Oct 2026
Media reports
The Bank of Albania law with governor protection was approved by the Assembly with 84 votes.
What the documents show: Three outlets describe the law as passed. The official Assembly vote record has not been checked. Shekulli says the socialist majority and the Social Democratic Party took part; the party label needs checking because it may be an error for the Democratic Party.
Source: Shekulli · 29 Oct 2026
'Në votim morën pjesë 84 deputetë, nga të cilët 81 ishin të Partisë Socialiste dhe 3 të Partisë Socialdemokrate (PSD).' (Euronews Albania: 84 MPs took part in the vote, 81 PS and 3 PSD.)
What the documents show: Euronews reports 84 votes in favour and no votes against or abstentions. Ekofin and Kohajone report 84 votes and no breakdown. OCNAL (BIRN-based) and an aggregator summary report 84 for and 2 against. The Kuvendi vote record was not reached, so the against count is unresolved. The 'PSD' label was not verified; PD is not reported as voting for the law.
Source: Euronews Albania · 29 Oct 2026
Claim to check: did any PD MPs vote for the law?
What the documents show: No source read reports a PD vote for the law. Euronews gives 81 PS and 3 PSD. OCNAL reports Berisha's criticism after the vote and that PD walked out in committee on 27 Oct. Kohajone reports the opposition protested and was expelled from the session. A PD vote is therefore not reported, but it is not ruled out because the breakdown is incomplete.
Final text (as reported): the Governor cannot be placed under arrest, detained, or subjected to personal or home searches or similar coercive measures without prior authorisation of the Assembly, when the proceedings relate to the exercise of his function. 'nuk e përjashton guvernatorin nga hetimi apo përgjegjësia penale' (it does not exempt the Governor from investigation or criminal liability).
What the documents show: Ekofin: applies to criminal offences linked to the Governor's duties; authorisation goes to the Assembly; the Governor covered only, deputies not explicitly covered; immunity effective only after Criminal Procedure Code amendments. Monitor: the prosecutor refers the matter to the Assembly, which checks duty-link and then authorises continued proceedings if it does not; the Governor keeps working. Standard.al says the covered group is 'zyrtarët më të lartë' (senior officials) including the Governor, which conflicts with Ekofin and Euronews. The text itself was not read, so whether the flagrante exception survived is not confirmed (the July draft had it).
Source: Reporter.al · 29 Oct 2026
Sali Berisha
Berisha (PD): the measure is for Edi Rama and his circle ('to protect himself and his pigs'); an 'absolutist regime' (Top Channel, OCNAL, Albeu).
What the documents show: Standard.al (29 Oct) and Telegraf (30 Oct) link the law to the SPAK microcredit file and device seizure, which supports a link to officials, not to Rama. No source read names Rama as a suspect in these files. Berisha's claim is partisan and is not a finding. Whether the law shields Bank officials from SPAK is not confirmed by any official source.
Source: OCNAL · Oct 2026
Taulant Balla
Taulant Balla (PS): the Governor 'will enjoy the rights of his EU counterparts' and the law 'has received the green light from the EC' (Gazeta Tema and Javanews headlines).
What the documents show: The Commission's reply (30 Oct 2026) says the law is being assessed under Chapter 17 and that Article 72 will apply with Protocol No. 7 after accession. It does not say the law has been approved or given a green light. The Commission reply is therefore less than the 'green light' claim.
Source: Javanews · Oct 2026
Anonymous Bank of Albania representative (Gijotina): the provision is 'not immunity', since the criminal investigation can continue; it is protection against arbitrariness.
What the documents show: Consistent with Ekofin and Monitor: the law does not exempt the Governor from investigation or liability, but adds a parliamentary filter before coercive measures. The filter is a real procedural limit, not a bar on investigation. The July draft's own flagrante exception and the Constitutional Court role are not described by the Bank.
Source: Gijotina · Oct 2026
exit.al: 'In-the-act exception: Not mentioned.' (exit.al article on the draft immunity provision.)
What the documents show: The draft's Neni 72 para. 1 and para. 2 both contain the exception (flagrante delicto and immediate pursuit after a crime) for the arrest and search rules. The exit.al summary is therefore incomplete on this point. This is a difference between the press summary and the draft text, not evidence about the adopted law.
Source: exit.al · 23 Jul 2026
Draft law 'Për Bankën e Shqipërisë' (RENJK 1016, 15.07.2026), Neni 72 'Dispozita të veçanta për administratorët' (special provisions for administrators): the Governor and Deputy Governors may not be arrested or deprived of liberty in any form, nor subjected to personal or residence search, without authorisation of the Constitutional Court, except when caught in flagrante or in pursuit immediately after a crime. The prosecutor of the case must immediately request that authorisation before arrest or search. The Constitutional Court decides within two weeks of the case being submitted; if it does not decide within that period the request is deemed rejected. (Translation from Albanian by the researcher; the Albanian text is partly garbled in the copies retrieved.)
What the documents show: Text read from the docx (copy retrieved by the fetch tool; direct download blocked) and from a PDF copy on shqiptarja.com. Both copies have identical Neni 72 wording and numbering. The draft header states it is submitted on the proposal of the Council of Ministers and cites Constitution Articles 78, 81 para. 2 letter a, and 83 para. 1. The provision sits in KAPITULLI XIII, before KREU XIV and KREU XV. The exit.al article (23 July 2026) gives the same core rule and the two-week deadline (it cites Article 72 of the draft) but does not mention the flagrante exception, which the draft does contain.
Source: Ministry of Finance public consultation portal (konsultimipublik.gov.al) · 15 Jul 2026
July draft: the Constitutional Court authorises arrest and search of the Governor and Deputy Governors (two-week limit, deemed refusal). Final law: the request goes to the Assembly, not the Constitutional Court.
What the documents show: Matches the July draft read in the earlier run (Neni 72, Constitutional Court). The change to the Assembly is reported by Ekofin, Monitor, Reporter and Top Channel summaries. The Assembly-versus-court change is the largest reported difference between draft and adopted text.
Source: Ekofin · 29 Oct 2026
Edi Rama
Calls the stronger lek a success and a 'stubborn indicator' of economic growth (as reported by Tirana Times).
What the documents show: Official gross inflows (tourism EUR 5.7bn, FDI EUR 1.6bn, remittances over EUR 1-2bn) are cited by government. Netting outflows is disputed (see Beqiraj). The IMF 2025 Article IV says appreciation is 'largely driven by fundamentals'.
Source: Tirana Times · 29 Jul 2026
Delina Ibrahimaj
Rejects the drug-money explanation for the lek; cites about EUR 8.5bn of official inflows (tourism 5.72bn, FDI 1.64bn, remittances 1.12bn).
What the documents show: Figures are gross. The article does not show outflows netted. Remittance figure (1.12bn) conflicts with 'over 2bn' in Tirana Times for the same period.
Source: Gazeta Tema · Jul 2026
Irena Beqiraj
25% to 40% of the lek's appreciation cannot be explained by tourism, investment and remittances; the government counts incoming money without subtracting outflows, including about EUR 3.06bn of Albanians' travel abroad.
What the documents show: No published calculation of the 25-40% figure was found. The netting argument is arithmetically reasonable but needs the BoP detail; the IMF does not say informal flows are absent.
Source: Tirana Times · 29 Jul 2026
Pano Soko
A productive economy would show exports growing faster than imports; the trade imbalance has not changed enough to explain the lek's rise.
What the documents show: Trade deficit: Q1 2018 EUR 354m (Top Channel). No 2025-2026 trade series checked in this pass.
Source: Tirana Times · 29 Jul 2026
Doris Andoni
The housing price problem is not a simple effect of supply and demand; a market where the origin of capital is unclear is an 'undiagnosable and unreformable market'.
What the documents show: Article gives no price, percentage or cash-share data. The UNECE profile is cited for the link to money laundering; the 2024 profile itself was not read.
Source: Balkanweb · 17 May 2026
Claim supplied by requester: a '84 votes' threshold was used for the Balluku immunity vote (12 March 2026), so SPAK dropped charges to reach that number.
What the documents show: Citizens.al (fetched): 82 against, 47 for, no abstentions, three majority MPs absent; no threshold stated; no 84 or 71 figure. Balkanweb agenda piece (opened in an earlier run, see: 'shumicë e thjeshtë votash' (simple majority). The 82 against and 47 for total 129; the Balkanweb article giving 128 present is a discrepancy not resolved here. The 84 figure in the Balluku case is absent from every opened source. The 84 found in search summaries relates to other votes (the Balluku sources do not mention it). The immunity vote is a decision on a request under Article 73 and not a law; Article 81 para. 2 applies to laws, not to individual immunity decisions. SPAK dropping charges is not supported by any source found (seeclaim-b, which is DEBUNKED for that element).
Claim supplied by requester: the immunity was given to protect corruption. Critics' framing in the press: the provision could create a 'safe zone' for bank leaders and a barrier to corruption probes.
What the documents show: No source states a motive for the provision. Gazeta Tema English returned 403 when fetched; only the search summary was seen, which describes critics' concern. The Bank says the provision protects its independence. No named critic, expert or NGO was found. The draft's Neni 72 is the only text read; it does not state a purpose.
Source: Gazeta Tema (English) · 2026
Petrit Malaj
We are not undertaking an amnesty; through the fiscal peace we do not forgive criminal liability; we do not serve anyone under investigation or in court proceedings; unpaid tax of evaders under criminal prosecution is not forgiven.
What the documents show: Statement is the minister own. Whether the law passed and its final text were not confirmed in this pass. The 2022 draft, by contrast, covered undeclared assets up to EUR 2m regardless of source (Shqiptarja, 5 Jul 2022).
Source: Shqiptarja · 19 Nov 2025
Gent Sejko
Sejko (2024, parliament): the bad-loan situation was handled with the IMF; the measures were an IMF recommendation.
What the documents show: This is a claim about the bad-loan measures, not about immunity. No IMF text found in this run asks for legal protection for the Governor. The 2025 IMF press release and the 2018 IMF working paper summary do not mention a governor-immunity clause.
Source: Shqiptarja · 18 Jul 2024
Eduart Gjokutaj
A large part of tourist money goes to the informal economy and does not return to circulation; about 35% of last year's FDI came from offshore companies; laundering runs through banks; crypto is used for laundering.
What the documents show: The 35% offshore share is not sourced in the article. The Tirana Times 2026 piece notes that BoP errors and omissions swing both ways, so informal cash cannot be read from the BoP alone.
Source: Shqiptarja · 16 Nov 2023
EU standard (as read via CJEU reporting): ECB governing-body immunity covers acts in the official capacity; it does not cover conduct outside official duties such as corruption.
What the documents show: Albania's law protects against arrest and coercive measures for duty-linked offences, and keeps criminal liability. The EU model in reporting is narrower: immunity for official acts, with no bar on prosecution of corruption outside official duties. Whether the Albanian Assembly gate is comparable to the EU model is not established by any source read.
Source: Bloomberg · 30 Nov 2021
Gent Sejko
Declared 2019 assets (as reported): salary and honoraria income, real estate entries and deposits. No loans reported for the governor or his wife (article reading).
What the documents show: Not checked against the official declaration. The 2022 Bank disclosure exists but was not read.
Source: Shqiptarja · 8 Aug 2020
Taulant Balla
Taulant Balla (PS group): 'Sot nuk i kishim 84 vota' (Today we did not have 84 votes). Reported in Shqiptarja, 9 July 2018, on the postponed amendments to the law on the status of judges and prosecutors.
What the documents show: The article states the magistrates' law needed 84 votes and the majority had 79. It says the session was postponed after an opposition boycott. Balla is quoted as saying the party had not yet secured the votes. Petrit Vasili (LSI) and Edmond Spaho (PD) are quoted alleging manipulation of the vote. The page header shows 31 October 2026, but the article is dated 9 July 2018. This is background on how 84 has been used in Albanian votes, not evidence about the 2026 bank law.
Source: Shqiptarja · 9 Jul 2018
Jorida Tabaku
The euro's fall is linked to drug money (earlier claim, reused here with a further 2018 headline: 'exchange rate devaluation hurts Albanian producers and farmers').
What the documents show: 2018 BoA data show the Bank bought EUR 463m that year to slow the euro's fall, which is consistent with a large euro supply, but the source of that supply is not identified in any document reviewed.
Source: Shqiptarja · 11 May 2018
Gent Sejko
The BoA has no information on euro or dollar cash circulating outside banks; the lek's strength shows no macroeconomic imbalances from drug proceeds 'so far'; devaluing to counter appreciation is not necessary.
What the documents show: The Bank's own 2017 figures show cash outside banks of about EUR 1.9bn and EUR 4bn in euro deposits and loans, but no measurement of cash flows. The statement was made before the 2018 purchases, the 2024-2025 purchases, and the 2026 appreciation, so it does not cover those years.
Source: Tirana Times (BoA interview) · 6 Dec 2017
Gent Sejko
At the hearing in the Economy Committee and after his appointment, Sejko said his priorities would be transparency and protecting consumers' interests, and that close cooperation with international partners matters (paraphrase in Top Channel).
What the documents show: The Bank's transparency record in the sources found is mixed: the 2014 vault theft occurred before his term; the 2019 AML review found high-risk banks and exchange-office gaps; the 2024 microcredit licence revocations happened under his governorship (see. The sources do not let us judge his reform record fully.
Source: Top Channel · 5 Feb 2015