SPAK opens corruption probe into Zvërnec land titles and bypassed tenders — but the $195M freeze was quietly lifted and no charges have been filed

Albania's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office, SPAK, opened a formal preliminary corruption investigation on 2 June 2026 covering how coastal land titles within the Zvërnec development zone were processed and transferred to private entities, how officials bypassed the normal public tender system for strategic investor contracts, and the origin of the land purchase funds. The investigation also covers the controversial 2024 legislative changes to Albania's Protected Areas Act that enabled the development. Earlier, on 29 May, SPAK had issued a preventive sequestration order freezing approximately 195 million dollars held by Albania Land Development at Banka Kombëtare Tregtare. Within approximately three days, the freeze was lifted. SPAK made no public statement on either action; the reversal was attributed to a need to avoid exposing Albania to international arbitration claims. Searches were conducted of Redi Struga, the company's administrator and suspected intermediary. Artur Shehu, residing in the United States, is suspected of leading a scheme to alter and appropriate land ownership rights in the protected zone. The wider corporate network under examination includes: Albania Land Development SHPK (linked to Qatari brothers Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat of UrbaCon); Zvërnec South Adriatic Development (Dutch and Bulgarian beneficial owners); and Sazan Real Estate Development LLC (associated with Affinity Partners). Investigative reporting by Balkan Insight additionally identified Alaudin Malaj, a former judge removed during Albania's judicial vetting, and Musa Kastrati, reported to have negotiated with Ivanka Trump. No formal criminal charges have been filed in the property fraud investigation as of 8 June.