A red box filled with bundles of €50 banknotes is among the striking pieces of evidence in the SPAK investigation into a luxury villa in Dhërmi allegedly used by former Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, although official property documents list former footballer Igli Tare as its owner.
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In its investigative document, SPAK states that the box containing the money appeared to be located “in the premises of villa F6, in the White Rocks complex.” However, prosecutors have not established who owned the money or where it came from. The photograph has nevertheless been included among the evidence collected during the investigation.
SPAK Investigation Focuses on Balluku’s Alleged Use of the Villa
The two-storey villa, measuring 103 square metres and accompanied by a plot of at least 300 square metres, has been valued by SPAK at €720,000.
To support its allegation that Balluku was the actual beneficiary of the property, rather than Igli Tare, prosecutors examined hundreds of communications involving her driver, cleaning staff, subordinates and administrators of the residential complex.
According to investigators, the property was repeatedly referred to in these conversations as “the boss’s villa”. SPAK also alleges that the furnishings and investments in the property were carried out according to Balluku’s preferences.
Mobile phone records reportedly show that the former deputy prime minister regularly visited the villa between 2019 and the first months of 2026.
Thus, while Igli Tare appeared as the owner in official documents, SPAK’s investigation alleges that Balluku was the person who used the property, made decisions about its furnishings and had access to the staff responsible for maintaining it.
WhatsApp Messages Refer to Trips to Dhërmi for Belinda
The investigation file also includes a WhatsApp conversation dated July 24, 2022, between Maresa Smone and her sister, Aida Smone. The exchange refers to plans to travel to Dhërmi and explicitly mentions Belinda.
Maresa Smone wrote: “Tomorrow we are going to Dhërmi,” adding, “I will go too.”
After Aida questioned her, Maresa replied that “Berti” had just called and wrote: “Just to take [someone] at four.”
Aida then responded: “Damn you,” followed by: “Is it only for Belinda, at least?”
Maresa answered: “Yes, for Belinda,” and added that on Wednesday they would go “for the other one”. She later wrote that her parents would travel the following day and that she would go with her mother on Wednesday.
SPAK has included these communications among the material examined in connection with the villa and the activities of the cleaning staff.
The investigation into the Dhërmi property forms part of the broader criminal case against Balluku, which involves 31 defendants, including former officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure and construction companies linked to public procurement procedures.
The allegations concerning the villa, its actual beneficiary and the money shown in the photograph remain matters under investigation. The photograph alone does not establish the ownership or origin of the cash, nor does it prove that the money belonged to Balluku.
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| Foto source: Internet and various Albanian media |