A castle, millions of euros in the bank account, a small plane, to which are added two apartments in the south of France, cars and a yacht. Since arriving in France at the age of 16, Ermal Beqiri, now 44, an entrepreneur and information technology expert, has experienced a dizzying climb up the social ladder. Today, from a detention cell in Beauvais, the Albanian businessman is trying to get out of the difficult situation he is in.
This Tuesday, October 20, he asked the Amiens Investigation Chamber for a second time to be released from custody. His file is being reviewed by the Amiens Court of Appeal, as the businessman has his residence in the Oise department, in the Auteuil castle, in Berneuil-en-Bray, a historical monument of the 16th century, which, according to Albanian media, he purchased for around 2.6 million euros at the end of 2024.
Hundreds of thousands of euros seized in his accounts
Ermal Beqiri is behind bars after Albanian authorities sought his extradition. The Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) in Tirana suspects him of being one of the main figures in a network that has benefited from public contracts in the field of information technology from the Albanian state, manipulating competition and using threats to drive out rivals./ Courrier-picard
In Albania, this issue has caused a great stir. 19 public procurement procedures are under investigation, with an estimated value of 59 million euros.
Also involved in this case is the former director of the National Agency for the Information Society (AKSHI), Mirlinda Karçanaj, as well as another businessman, Ergys Agasi, arrested in Albania in August.
The scandal also affects the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, at a time when Albania is aiming for membership in the European Union and the fight against corruption is one of the main issues in the integration process.
"He has no reason to be in prison"
It was Beqiri's passion for flying that got him into trouble. On July 24 of this year, while piloting his small plane, he flew over the Penly nuclear power plant, in Seine-Maritime, before being forced to land in Méaulte, near Albert, in the Somme department.
For this violation, he was sentenced in Paris to a fine of 7 thousand euros. He was then placed in custody as part of the extradition procedure, the review of which is being delayed due to the difficult situation in Albania.
Beqiri himself opposes extradition and in September submitted an asylum request in France, for which he has not yet received a response.
"A major clean-up operation is underway in Albania. Everyone understands that there are people who do not want to appear before the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office," declared the representative of the French Prosecutor General's Office.
His lawyer, Nicolas Paganelli, called the businessman's detention unnecessary.
"Mr. Beqiri offers extremely strong guarantees that he will be available to justice. Being aware that he was wanted by the Albanian authorities, it was he who, on March 11, notified the Amiens General Prosecutor's Office. He has not left his apartment and has remained available to French justice. Today there is no reason for him to be in prison," the lawyer declared.
The defense has requested that Beqiri be placed under electronic surveillance, wearing an electronic bracelet.
But the General Prosecutor's Office opposed this request. According to the prosecutor, electronic surveillance would allow the businessman to contact third parties and "organize things."
"A major clean-up operation is underway in Albania. Everyone understands that there are people who do not want to appear before the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office," said the representative of the Prosecutor's Office.
Over 2.1 million euros seized in three bank accounts
The financial capabilities of the Albanian businessman, residing in the Oise department, were extremely large.
In addition to his movable and immovable assets, French authorities have also seized funds in three bank accounts in his name.
The first account contained 15 thousand euros, the second 919 thousand euros, and the third 1.2 million euros. In total, the seized amount amounts to 2 million 125 thousand euros.
The decision on Ermal Beqiri's request to be released from detention is expected to be announced on Friday, October 23.
