Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) has officially cleared Olsi Rama, brother of Prime Minister Edi Rama, of any involvement in the 2015 cocaine-processing lab discovered in Xibrakë, Elbasan.
The investigation was reopened following allegations by opposition MP Gazment Bardhi. SPAK, however, found no evidence linking Olsi Rama to the criminal operation. Authorities in Kosovo also assisted in the inquiry, which concluded that the previously convicted individuals acted alone.
“SPAK has conducted thorough investigations and found no facts or evidence connecting Olsi Rama to the 2015 criminal activity,” the prosecutor’s office confirmed in a statement.
The case was suspended on December 23, 2024, and referred to the General Directorate of State Police for continued efforts to identify other potential perpetrators.
Olsi Rama, questioned twice during the reopened probe, has since filed defamation suits against Bardhi, accusing him of false reporting. Prime Minister Edi Rama has also called for Bardhi to face defamation charges if the accusations prove baseless.
The Xibrakë case remains a political flashpoint, further deepening the divide between the government and opposition.
