Ermal Nufi
Socialist Party (PS)
Profile
Ermal Nufi became Albania's Minister of Defence in March 2026, replacing Pirro Vengu in a reshuffle. Before that he was Deputy Secretary General of the Prime Minister's Office. In September 2026 the Democratic Party deputy chairman Belind Këlliçi made arms-trafficking allegations against him linked to leaked audio of Ron Yeffet.
Legal status
Not charged
not-charged
What this means: No criminal charge against this person is recorded in the sources reviewed.
Response from Ermal Nufi
Responded in a social media video (per Balkanweb, 13 Sep 2026) that Albania 'will produce' weapons; the article reports no direct rebuttal of the trafficking allegation from Nufi or the government.
Related cases
Sorted by reported money, then by linked people and their legal status. The money figure is the largest single reported figure, not a total.
From 2025
Government members' 2025 asset declarations: unexplained and unspecified income (reported June 2026)
Shqiptarja reported on 25 June 2026 the public parts of 2025 asset declarations of government members, drawn from ILDKPKI's public register. The article itself raises a question only about three…
Status: Declarations as reported; no official response in the article
From 13 Sep 2026
Defence Minister Nufi: opposition arms-trafficking allegation linked to Ron Yeffet audio (Sept 2026)
On 13 September 2026 PD deputy chairman Belind Këlliçi alleged that leaked audio of Ron Yeffet implicates the government and Defence Minister Ermal Nufi in arms trafficking. He pointed to an apparent…
Status: Opposition allegation; no official proceeding found.
A case listed here names this person. It does not mean they are accused in it; read the case page.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Defence Ministry changes in 2026 may be linked to the Yeffet arms-trafficking audio
Three defence-side changes in 2026 (Vengu replaced by Nufi on 7 Mar; Shllaku relieved and Skana appointed 1 Apr; Nufi's 'produce weapons' statements vs the deputy minister's 'no weapons' statement on 10 Sep) sit beside the Yeffet audio allegations (Këlliçi, 13 Sep) and the Elbit drone partnership (dataset, Jan 2026). If the arms-trade story is real, the personnel changes could be the state's response to it. Testing requires the audio and procurement records.
Evidence for
- Nufi's April 2026 statement that Albania produces weapons and sends them to conflict zones (as cited by Këlliçi).
- Deputy minister's 10 Sept 2026 statement that Albania neither produces nor exports weapons (as reported).
- Dataset: Elbit drone-production partnership announced Jan 2026 (ev-2026-01-elbit-drone-partnership).
Evidence against
- The only trafficking claim is an opposition allegation based on audio the sources checked do not reproduce.
- Nufi responded and the government has not confirmed trafficking; deputy ministers can contradict ministers for ordinary reasons.
- Shllaku's removal has no reported reason; no link to arms trade is found.
Connections
Open the map →alleged Yeffet audio link
Evidence: Këlliçi alleges the Yeffet audio implicates the Defence Minister (BalkanWeb 13 Sep 2026).
What they said vs. what the documents show
What was said · 22 Apr 2026
Nufi (parliament, 22 April 2026, as cited by Këlliçi): Albania produces weapons and sends them to conflict zones.
Speaker: Ermal Nufi
BalkanWeb 13 Sep 2026 (opens in a new tab)BalkanWeb · 13 Sep 2026 · journalism · SQ
What the documents show
A deputy minister said on 10 Sept 2026 that Albania neither produces nor exports weapons (as reported). No record reviewed.
- BalkanWeb: Këlliçi, audiopërgjimi i Ron Yeffet, Nufi dhe armët (opens in a new tab)BalkanWeb · 13 Sep 2026 · journalism · SQ
What was said · 22 Apr 2026
Nufi (parliament, 22 April 2026, as cited by Këlliçi): Albania produces weapons and sends them to conflict zones. Later he said Albania 'will produce' weapons.
Speaker: Ermal Nufi
BalkanWeb 13 Sep 2026 (opens in a new tab)BalkanWeb · 13 Sep 2026 · journalism · SQ
What the documents show
Balkanweb (13 Sep 2026, opened) attributes the 'Albania will produce weapons' line to a video by Ermal Rraketa, not to Nufi, and reports no Nufi statement saying it. The 22 April statement appears only as Këlliçi's characterisation; no parliamentary record was opened. Contradicted for the 'later he said' attribution; the April statement remains unverified.
- BalkanWeb: Këlliçi, audiopërgjimi i Ron Yeffet, Nufi dhe armët (opens in a new tab)BalkanWeb · 13 Sep 2026 · journalism · SQ
Timeline
Other
Shqiptarja reports 2025 asset declarations of government members
Reports PM's undisclosed-source other income, Economy Minister's 1,498,904 lekë unspecified income and other items.
Linked: Government members' 2025 asset declarations: unexplained and unspecified income (reported June 2026) · Edi Rama · Delina Ibrahimaj · Toni Gogu · Ermal Nufi
SPAK
SPAK asked to make the Ron Yeffet wiretap audio available; arms-trafficking allegation involving Defence Minister Nufi reported (unverified)
A Balkanweb headline reports that Arben Ahmetaj raised suspicions of an arms-trafficking scheme and that SPAK has requested the audio of the Ron Yeffet wiretaps. One report says the audio was first made public by Syri TV and that the investigation centres on Timak Defence and Advanced Arms Technology; not confirmed in the original source. Journalist Klodiana Lala said that, according to Ahmetaj, an intermediary is Ermal Nufi; this name overlaps with a nickname Ahmetaj used for the defence minister. Nufi's reaction is reported only as a statement that Albania will produce weapons, not a denial. The opposition said it will alert NATO. No charges, arrests of Nufi, or official findings were found.
Linked: Arben Ahmetaj's September 2026 claim of unpublished wiretaps naming a current minister and others · Defence Minister Nufi: opposition arms-trafficking allegation linked to Ron Yeffet audio (Sept 2026) · Arben Ahmetaj · Ron Yeffet · Ermal Nufi · Klodiana Lala
Other
Këlliçi's Nufi allegation confirmed as published (13 Sep 2026); no Nufi denial reported
Balkanweb (13 Sep 2026) confirms Këlliçi's post: six days after the Ron Yeffet audio was published, the government and the Defence Minister were implicated in arms trafficking. He characterises a 22 April statement as Nufi saying Albania produces and sent weapons to conflict zones. Balkanweb reports no Nufi denial, but cites Këlliçi's account of a deputy minister's 10 Sept statement that Albania neither produces nor exports weapons. The audio is not verified.
Linked: Defence Minister Nufi: opposition arms-trafficking allegation linked to Ron Yeffet audio (Sept 2026) · Ermal Nufi
Other
Këlliçi alleges Yeffet audio implicates government and Defence Minister Nufi in arms trafficking
BalkanWeb, opened. No direct denial of trafficking reported.
Linked: Defence Minister Nufi: opposition arms-trafficking allegation linked to Ron Yeffet audio (Sept 2026) · Ermal Nufi · Belind Këlliçi · Ron Yeffet
Other
Balkanweb of 13 Sep 2026 confirmed; no direct denial reported
Balkanweb (13 Sep 2026) confirms the claim. No direct denial by the minister is reported. The article quotes a video by Ermal Rraketa saying 'Albania will produce weapons'; that line is not attributed to Nufi. The audio is not verified.
Linked: Defence Minister Nufi: opposition arms-trafficking allegation linked to Ron Yeffet audio (Sept 2026) · Ermal Nufi · Belind Këlliçi · Ron Yeffet
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 2 sources.
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 1 source
- Publisher
- BalkanWeb
- Date
- 13 Sep 2026
Source label: UnverifiedUnverified · 1 source
- Publisher
- Telegrafi
- Date
- Mar 2026