Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating businessman Artur Shehu over allegations that he used forged ownership documents to sell coastal land designated for a multi-billion-euro luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, Reuters reported.
According to documents from Albania’s Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK), Shehu, who lives in Miami, is also wanted in Albania on suspicion of laundering proceeds from drug trafficking.
His lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, denied the allegations, saying Shehu had neither engaged in drug trafficking nor falsified property records.
Shehu sold the coastal property in April to Albania Land Development, one of the companies behind the planned tourism project that includes Sazan Real Estate Development, supported by Kushner.
Prosecutors said evidence gathered during the investigation provided reasonable grounds to suspect the property had been acquired through forged ownership documents.
The investigation does not allege wrongdoing by Kushner, the project companies or their partners, nor does it suggest the buyers were aware of the allegations against Shehu when the transaction took place.
Sazan Real Estate Development said it believes the land acquisition was conducted legally and in accordance with Albanian law.
€110 million frozen
SPAK said the land was sold for approximately 110 million euros and ordered the funds frozen in a notary escrow account, preventing payment to Shehu while the investigation continues.
Prosecutors allege that Shehu and his associates used illicit funds to acquire land, created forged ownership documents or artificially expanded property boundaries before transferring or exchanging the assets to conceal their origin.
The group is also under investigation over alleged cocaine trafficking from South America through European ports and laundering criminal proceeds through real estate investments.
Shehu’s lawyer said his family had owned the land since the Ottoman period and insisted the sale was entirely lawful.
Ownership dispute and environmental concerns
The planned development is located near Zvërnec, close to the coastal city of Vlorë, in an environmentally sensitive area known for its beaches, forests, wetlands, sea turtles and flamingos.
Residents have disputed Shehu’s ownership claims for more than a decade, presenting property records and tax documents that they say prove they are the legitimate owners.
Their lawyer, Kostandin Beko, said the ownership dispute remains before the courts and that residents will seek legal measures to halt the project.
The proposed resort has sparked nationwide environmental protests under the banner of the “Flamingo Revolution”, with campaigners warning that the development could threaten one of Albania’s last largely untouched stretches of Adriatic coastline.
The project includes hotels, villas, swimming pools and yacht marinas. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have previously said they conceived the idea after seeing the coastline while sailing.
Government backs the project
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government continues to support the investment, describing it as an important tourism project and dismissing criticism as politically motivated.
Following the investigation into Shehu, the government said it would not intervene in private commercial transactions but stressed that the development must comply with Albanian and European legislation.
The European Commission has previously urged Albania, an EU candidate country, to fully respect European environmental protection standards.
The latest investigation adds to legal uncertainty surrounding the project, which is already facing ownership disputes, environmental objections and court challenges.