Dorian Puka, the Albanian from Laç who for years has been at the center of British media attention, has published several exchanges with journalists and producers from GB News, the Daily Mail and The Telegraph, claiming that they offered him money to take part in television interviews.
Puka accuses British media of hypocrisy, arguing that on the one hand they portray him as a criminal who defies British authorities, while on the other they contact him privately to include him in their programs. According to Top Channel, in the messages published he rejects the offers and describes these media outlets as dishonest, accusing them of using his story to fuel rhetoric against migrants and to secure more views.
“My past belongs to the past. I will never hide it, and I am proud that I have left it behind”, Puka writes in one of his responses.
He has also targeted Nigel Farage, the Reform UK politician and presenter on GB News. Puka even sent Farage a direct message asking him to stop contacts from his associates, as he has no intention of appearing on the program.
In one of the exchanges, the Albanian ironically says he would accept the invitation to appear on Farage’s show only if the latter secured him a residence permit in Britain.
His publications have brought back into debate the relationship between British media, immigration, and the way an individual’s personal story is used to feed political discussion in the country.