Ermal Beqiraj, the businessman wanted by SPAK in the “AKSHI” case, has been arrested in France in circumstances that have also drawn the attention of authorities there. According to the official version and reports in the French media, he was stopped after flying a small civilian aircraft over the Penly nuclear power plant at an altitude lower than the permitted limit.
Wanted by SPAK over tenders worth more than 1.1 million euros
Beqiraj has been placed under the “arrest in prison” measure by the Special Prosecution, while the procedure for his extradition to Albania is awaited.
In the investigation into the “AKSHI” case, he is accused of benefiting from tenders worth more than 1.1 million euros through irregular procedures. Beqiraj owns the company “Soft & Solution,” a name involved in this case that has raised questions over the management of public contracts in the technology sector.
Asset seizure and suspicions over their origin
The investigation has also led to the seizure of 10 assets and several bank accounts belonging to him and entities linked to him. The list includes land and buildings in Vlora, Tirana and Golem, as well as businesses and vehicles.
According to publicly released information, investigators have also identified a luxury yacht owned by the businessman, worth around 1 million euros. These elements deepen the financial profile of the case beyond the tender-related accusations.
How he was stopped in France
French media report that Beqiraj was stopped on Saturday afternoon after flying abnormally over the Penly nuclear power plant in Normandy. The French Air and Space Force intervened and neutralized the aircraft, which then led to his arrest.
According to the same reports, he had departed from the city of Albert, then flown toward Calais, continued in the direction of Brittany, and ended up over the nuclear power plant, where he was stopped by the authorities.
For violating flight rules, the French authorities fined him 7,000 euros. He was then handed over to the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime, while he remains in pretrial detention pending further procedures.
The espionage angle and items found during the search
Reports from France say Beqiraj’s profile has raised suspicions among investigators, who are not ruling out an espionage angle. Penly is considered a highly sensitive site, not only because of its status as a nuclear power plant, but also because the new EPR-2 reactors are being built there.
Another unusual element, according to the French media, was the discovery of three AirTag devices hidden in his clothes during a physical search. These devices are used for location and tracking, which has increased investigative interest around his movements and purpose.
Before French investigators, Beqiraj said he had made a mistake about the flight altitude, claiming that at the time he was speaking on the phone with his mother.
What is being said about his criminal profile
According to the French media, Beqiraj is known to the French and Albanian justice systems in cases related to financial fraud, organized fraud and illegal activities linked to computer piracy.
These claims remain part of media reporting in France, while in Albania his name is directly linked to the “AKSHI” case, one of the cases that has once again exposed how high-value public tenders have been administered.
Beqiraj’s arrest outside Albania brings the “AKSHI” case back into the spotlight, not only because of the accusations against the businessman, but also because of the questions the case raises about institutional oversight in the distribution and control of public funds.
For now, it remains to be seen how the extradition procedure will proceed and what weight the elements gathered by the French authorities will carry going forward.