Balkans | The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking action against a politician of Greek origin who is being held in Albania

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken action due to the detention of the Greek minority candidate for mayor before the local elections held in Albania on May 14.

According to the news in the Greek media and based on diplomatic sources, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Theoharis Lallakos, on the orders of the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, on May 12, accused of “active corruption in the elections”, in connection with the detention of the mayoral candidate Himara Alfred Belleri in Albania. He will visit you.

It was stated that Lalakos will meet Pelleri, who was elected mayor of Himara in the elections held on May 14, and Pandeli Kokavesi, who were arrested together, to obtain information about their health status and conditions of detention, and the necessary steps will be taken on this issue with the Greek embassy in Tirana.

Mayoral candidate detention and backlash

Albanian police arrested Himara mayoral candidate Alfred Billeri on 12 May, with some opposition parties alleging “active corruption in elections” against him.

According to the statement of the General Directorate of Security, 51-year-old Belleri, as well as 44-year-old Pandeli Kokavesi, were arrested in the police operation called “Matrix”, and in the investigation, “citizens in Hamara and its two cities” were arrested. Villages were offered certain sums of money in exchange for voting for one of the candidates competing in the elections.” It was noted that there was suspicion of his involvement in vote-buying activities.

Following the local elections held on 14 May, Blairy was elected Mayor of Himara according to unofficial results.

The arrest of Blairy, who is from the country’s Greek minority, sparked reactions from the political parties and authorities in Albania and Greece.

AA