Former Albanian PM denies UK claims of his corruption, ties to criminality

Tirana [Albania], June 23 (ANI/Xinhua): Former Albanian prime minister and current leader of the country's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Sali Berisha, has denied claims made earlier by British authorities of his "involvement in corrupt acts and ties to criminality."
"I was informed in a letter that the (UK) home secretary had decided to ban my entry into the UK," Berisha told reporters at a press conference on Friday.
On Thursday, the UK's special envoy in the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach, announced a set of anti-corruption measures targeting Albanian individuals.
"This week, we took disruptive action against several Albanian individuals with well-publicized and documented ties to criminality and corruption. This is the first wave of a set of actions intended to encourage accountability and end impunity," according to a statement posted on the official website of the UK government.
According to Berisha, UK authorities claim to have facts proving his ties to organized crime and criminal groups that pose a risk to public safety in the UK and Albania, as well as his involvement in corruption acts.
Berisha refuted these claims, calling them "lies" intended to damage the opposition in the country.
He also called the move a smear campaign against him, claiming that it was sponsored by the American billionaire George Soros.
Berisha said he had decided to make the UK decision public even though it was confidential because he "wanted Albanian citizens to know that he had always been honest with them."
Berisha said he would now seek legal advice on how best to protect "his honour and dignity and that of the country" against the claims he dismissed as "defamation."
Last year, Berisha, his wife and children were declared persona non-grata also by the US State Department.
Berisha, 77, was Albania's first elected president from 1992 to 1997, and later he was prime minister from 2005 to 2013.
He lost the 2013 parliamentary elections to current Prime Minister Edi Rama and resigned as head of the DP, but returned to lead the party this year. (ANI/Xinhua)