The disappearance of 69 million new lek at the Albanian Post branch in Durrës is raising more questions than answers. According to the investigative file, security cameras recorded repeated movements of sacks, bags and packages of money inside the institution, while some of the actions are suspected of having been carried out in violation of internal rules and legal procedures.
Security measures and the investigation’s suspicions
According to the investigation by the Prosecution and the Police, three officials are suspected of having failed during April and May 2026 to deposit at the Shijak and Krujë branches the amount of 69 million new lek. For the branch’s former director, the court has ordered the security measure of “arrest in prison,” while for the two other officials it has ordered “house arrest.”
The investigation, according to the official version, is still open to verify not only the mechanism behind the missing amount, but also the possible involvement of other persons and the final destination of the money. Up to this stage, the institutions speak of suspicions and not of responsibility definitively proven by a court decision.
What the cameras are claimed to have recorded
In the investigative material administered by the prosecution, numerous episodes are described in which the head of finance, in the presence of the cashier or other employees, takes sacks or packages containing monetary values from the cash office and carries them to her office or to the office of the branch director.
One of the main episodes refers to April 2, 2026, when, according to the file, a sack of money that arrived with an escort from the bank was first received in the cash office area, then taken to the office of the head of finance and afterward to the office of the director. On the same day, according to the description in the file, the director leaves the office with a transparent white bag containing items that, according to the investigation, cannot be identified from the footage.
In other episodes listed for April 14, 15, 20, 24 and 30, as well as May 7, 8 and 21, 2026, similar movements are described: sacks containing monetary values, bundles of banknotes or packages wrapped with payment orders move from the cash office to internal offices. The prosecution claims that these actions do not comply with the legal acts in force and with the internal regulation of Posta Shqiptare sh.a.
Payment orders and suspicions of forged signatures
The file mentions several payment orders worth 5 million and 10 million lek, linked to internal accounts for the Shijak and Krujë branches. The documents appear to have been signed by the officials involved, while regarding the names of the cashiers of the respective branches, the investigation raises the suspicion that the signatures may have been forged.
These documents are considered an important link in the suspected scheme because, according to investigators, they create the administrative trail of the movement of the money, while it remains to be proven whether the procedures were used to justify shortages that in reality were not properly reflected in the respective branches.
The unanswered question: where did the money end up?
The strongest element of this case remains the fact that, according to the file, there is still no clear explanation of where the 69 million lek ended up. During her appearance before the court, former director Elisabeta Mataj did not provide an explanation for the destination of the amount and replied that she did not know.
This leaves the investigation at a crucial stage: the footage and the documents describe suspicious movements, but full transparency over the final flow of the money is still lacking. For an institution that manages public monetary funds, this is more than a procedural issue; it is a direct test of internal control and institutional accountability.
As the investigations continue, the case at the Durrës Post Office once again highlights the weakness of oversight mechanisms in public institutions. Until the suspected scheme is fully clarified, the main question remains open: how can tens of millions of lek move inside a branch without a clear trail and without a timely alarm?