Land sold for Kushner-backed Albania resort suspected of forged deeds

Albanian prosecutors are investigating allegations of forged land deeds connected to a luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner's development firm. The probe by the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) centers on a stretch of protected coastline earmarked for the resort.

Case files reviewed by Reuters identify Artur Shehu, a Miami-based businessman, as the seller who transferred the land to Albania Land Development, the entity behind the Kushner-linked scheme, in April. Prosecutors allege that Shehu and his associates funneled cocaine trafficking proceeds into Albanian property, using falsified titles to conceal the money's origin. Approximately 110 million euros ($126 million) tied to the sale have been frozen in a notary's account.

Shehu's lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, vehemently denied the allegations, stating his client is neither a trafficker nor a document forger and lawfully sold land his family has owned since Ottoman times. Cakrani suggested that prosecutors in Albania often answer to political and business interests and that Shehu fled to the U.S. after family members were killed in gang violence.

Reuters found no evidence that Kushner, Sazan Real Estate Development, or other resort backers were aware of any suspicions surrounding Shehu when the land transaction occurred. The investigation unfolds amid sustained protests against the development, which is situated on wetlands and beaches vital to local wildlife. These protests, initially focused on the resort, have broadened into a wider movement against alleged government corruption.

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Nothing that has been alleged regarding Mr Artur Shehu’s character is true.