Monika Kryemadhi gave details from the hearing at the Special Court, where she challenged the evidence presented by SPAK regarding the latest episode of LSI’s lobbying in the United States of America. She stated that she was herself the person who negotiated the contract with the American company GSIS, while former LSI leader Ilir Meta, according to her, had no knowledge of the actions taken.
In a statement to the media after the hearing, Kryemadhi said the contract was signed by Petrit Vasili, while three LSI invoices were paid by Luan Rama, in his capacity as the party’s general secretary. Challenging the prosecution’s claims, the former MP said SPAK is speculating when it claims that payments made by the company Unifi to GSIS were in fact payments on behalf of LSI. According to her, the invoice numbers presented by the prosecution do not match those of LSI’s invoices.
For this reason, Kryemadhi requested that Bank of America submit the relevant invoices, so as to clarify what the payments were for and in whose name they were issued. She also requested that, through a letter rogatory, the American Department of Justice be contacted to obtain information on GSIS’s filings in the FARA register, and that company representatives, among them Dennis Burke, be summoned as witnesses.
Question: Tell us what you claimed today about the latest lobbying episode?
Today, regarding the latest lobbying episode, I claimed that the prosecution is speculating that the invoices Unifi paid to the lobbying company GSIS were paid on behalf of LSI. However, when you look at the bank statement that came through a letter rogatory from the United States of America, it turns out that the invoice the prosecution, i.e. SPAK, claims is for LSI does not have the same number as the invoice Unifi paid GSIS.
What does this mean? I explained it in the courtroom too. If Fation Gjini and I both pay our electricity bills to OSHEE, that doesn’t mean Fation paid my electricity. Fation has his own bill, Monika has her own bill. Fation Gjini may also pay my electricity, but then he is saying: “I am paying 2,000 or 3,000 lek for Monika Kryemadhi’s electricity.” Meanwhile, the invoice SPAK refers to has no data linking it to LSI. It is an invoice in the United States of America with a 12-digit number, while LSI’s invoices have four-digit numbers.
Question: Which witnesses did you request be summoned?
First, we requested that, through a letter rogatory, information be requested from the American Department of Justice about the filings GSIS has made in the official FARA register. So, who is the person who made these filings?
On Monday, we ask that Bank of America bring the invoices that are claimed to have been paid by the company Unifi. It is not enough to bring a bank statement, because the GSIS bank statement also shows the Mexican Parliament. That does not mean the Mexican Parliament paid GSIS on behalf of LSI. In what capacity and on what basis did GSIS issue these invoices? For administrative expenses above $1,000, the contract provided that they be approved by LSI. GSIS must present the authorization given by LSI.
We have also requested that Dennis Burke, the GSIS representative who came to Albania for justice reform, be summoned as a witness. If you remember, it was the period of Article 88, on which no agreement was being reached with the Democratic Party. He met with the American ambassador of that time, Donald Lu, with Fatmir Xhafaj, who headed the justice reform commission, as well as with Lulzim Basha and Edi Rama. He should come and explain what these meetings were about, because the lobbying contract we are talking about related only to justice reform at that time. We also request that the current president of GSIS be asked whether he is aware of the financial actions he has signed and the statements he has made in response to the letter rogatory.
Question: Mrs. Kryemadhi, Meta stated in court that, if he committed any violation on this point, he did so through you. He mentioned you in relation to your role in LSI’s structures. Do you have a comment?
He mentioned me in the political and organizational aspect. I was the organizational secretary. In the contract the prosecution refers to, there is no signature by Ilir Meta, and for this contract there is no communication from him with GSIS. Ilir Meta has had only two communications with them. One relates to the visit of former prosecutor Dennis Burke, GSIS representative, in June 2016 for justice reform. The other relates to a meeting that may have taken place in February of that same year.
The contract was signed by Petrit Vasili. I conducted the negotiations with the company, while the three LSI invoices were paid by the general secretary, Luan Rama. In this context, in the interest of truth, Ilir Meta had no communication regarding the contract and had no knowledge of what we did.
Going back in time, the Democratic Party had no communication with the American embassy. The American embassy and Mr. Lulzim Basha did not communicate. We needed an intermediary between the American embassy and the Democratic Party to reach a consensus vote on justice reform.
Ilir Meta held a meeting in January 2016 with Ambassador William Brownfield, an official of the U.S. Department of State, who asked him that justice reform be voted on by consensus. At that time, if I remember correctly, Rama began negotiations to buy nine Democratic Party MPs so that the constitutional changes would be passed with bought votes. This was opposed both by the then speaker of Parliament, Mr. Meta, and by Ambassador Brownfield.
Question: When you were explaining the matter of the responses from the U.S., you said, I quote, “Meanwhile, the man of the world was in prison.” Were you referring to Meta?
Yes, of course. If the investigation into the lobbying and the entire file was still ongoing, how could the case have been sent to court? If the file went to court on August 28 and you keep taking testimony and responses… The prosecution may claim that it submitted the request for a letter rogatory in July 2024. “Burri i botës” is simply an Albanian expression. For me, it is now the world’s. It is not mine, it belongs to the Freedom Party.
Question: Ms. Kryemadhi, Meta stopped at two points. First, he said that a group of internationals, including McGonigal and the former American ambassador, created the file against him. Second, he said he was threatened over the appointments to the Constitutional Court. Were you aware?
Of course I was aware. Regarding the Constitutional Court matter, it was I who passed on to Mr. Meta the message from an ambassador of a European Union country. To be fair, you can ask Mr. Vasili. He says to him: “Let this lady pass, because then we’ll discuss with Rama to decide on Ms. Xhaferllari.” I even have the message.
At that time I was in the United States of America on an official visit and was talking with Mr. Vasili. He asked me: “Do you understand what happened? They’ve delivered this message to us. What do you say I should tell them?” I communicated directly with the relevant persons at the State Department and informed them of the message.
It was said that the American embassy, the British one and, I think, the German one as well would issue a statement in favor of Ms. Arta Vorpsi. Then Meta could make a deal with Rama that, when the other three proposals from the High Court came in, Marsida Xhaferllari would be included in that trio, or something like that. Meta certainly could not accept this. After the American institutions, which had supported the justice reform, were informed, the selection was made according to the constitutional order. So, pressure was exerted using the instruments of the embassies operating in Albania. I informed the State Department about this message.
As for Yuri Kim, yes, it is true that Yuri Kim is involved in our lobbying case. The letter rogatory came in 2024, during the period of the elections in the United States of America. Only a bank statement arrived, without explaining what payments Monika Kryemadhi made for. We all make payments. Fifteen years ago they might not have asked for such things, but today, even when I make a payment through the bank app, it asks me for the electronic invoice or a photo of the document. So, in my view, the idea is: “Let’s keep him inside as long as possible, and then we’ll talk.”