An Albanian court has ordered the detention of Tirana’s mayor, Erion Veliaj, over allegations of multimillion-euro corruption involving state funds.
The Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, which prosecutes high-ranking officials, placed Veliaj and several others in custody on Monday. Within 48 hours, the court must decide whether they will remain detained as the investigation progresses before formal charges are filed.
Veliaj is accused of misallocating at least €1.1 million from the state budget, allegedly funneling public funds to companies that generated illegal profits for his family.
Currently serving his second term as mayor, Veliaj is a member of the ruling Socialist Party and previously held a ministerial position in Prime Minister Edi Rama’s cabinet.
