Government
Balluku case: SPAK charges Igli Tare with money laundering over villa in Palasa
The special prosecutors suspect that the villa registered in Tare's name actually belongs to former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who was notified of five charges a day earlier.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 09:20 · Updated 12:24 · 2 min read
In brief
- SPAK has notified Igli Tare of a money laundering charge as part of the investigation into Belinda Balluku.
- Prosecutors suspect Tare hid in his own name a villa in Palasa that belongs to Balluku.
- Several businessmen who won tenders were also expected to be notified of charges the same day.
The investigation by SPAK, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, into former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku is widening. On Wednesday, prosecutors notified Igli Tare of a money laundering charge in connection with a villa in Palasa that, according to them, was registered in his name but actually belongs to Balluku.
The charge comes a day after Balluku herself was notified of five charges over alleged violations in 15 instances: corruption, money laundering, concealment of assets in two instances and violation of equality in tenders in nine instances. According to BalkanWeb, several businessmen who have won tenders, whose names were not made public, were also expected to be notified of charges that same day.
The villa at Green Coast
The villa is located in the tourist complex in Palasa and had earlier been seized by SPAK. According to earlier reports, prosecutors allege that Tare had paid for construction up to the shell stage, while the rest had been covered by Alko Impex, the company of businessman Arbër Abazi, which had won infrastructure tenders while Balluku headed the ministry. Tare had earlier appeared at SPAK, where he gave statements for about five hours, without speaking to the media.
Balluku, who has been suspended from office, is also subject to a ban on leaving the country. Being notified of a charge is not a finding of guilt; the investigation is ongoing and everyone involved is presumed innocent.
Pressure on the government
The Balluku case is one of SPAK's most significant investigations into a senior official of the Rama government and comes at a time when the cabinet is facing the largest protests in recent years, in which corruption is one of the protesters' main accusations.
