In the early hours of this Friday (September 2), the National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory (IKMT) arrived without any warning at the Prestige Resort in Golem to demolish two swimming pools, even though the resort has all the permits required by the Albanian state, even its construction permit is signed by Prime Minister Edi Rama himself. At the time when the police intervened without warning, the hotel was full of local and foreign tourists knowing that we are in the peak of the tourist season in Albania.

The National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory diggers didn’t even care about the image of Albania as a tourist destination, causing chaos and panic among tourists and attendees who expressed that the horror they experienced this September morning will keep them away from Albania forever.

After this move for the illegal demolition of ‘Prestige Resort’, the vice-president of ‘Hysenbelliu Group’, Fabiola Hysenbelliu claimed that Prime Minister Edi Rama had once given the idea of how the resort project should be, like an island in the middle of the sea, so today he must answer in front of all Albanians why he is destroying a legal property, since he requested the change of the editorial line of News 24 television and Panorama newspaper.

“Prime Minister Edi Rama has been visiting Prestige Resort several times among others with Behgjet Pacolli, or with the Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban regime. It is not only tourism that is under attack, but the right that every citizen has, the right for private property, the right for the free speech. We don’t shut our mouth when Edi Rama wants it” said Fabiola Hysenbelliu.

Alfred Peza, Panorama media director considers it as a political order, while he says that Rama started with the demolition of kiosks and is now continuing with the resorts.

“Prime Minister Edi Rama himself was present at this resort, he had a meeting with mayors. He came here when Afghans fleeing from the Taliban regime came to Albania. There is no violation of the law, but there is pure political blackmail, it is a blow due to the attitudes held. Rama entered politics destroying the kiosks and now he is destroying five star hotels” said Peza.

The action of The National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory in Prestige Resort in Durrës is a political attack by the government against the owner of News 24 and Panorama, says the director of News 24, Robert Rakipllari, who also shows other attacks that News 24 television has faced.

“We were asked to leave the building where the television has been located for 20 years with an ultimatum since July 25. We send this issue to the Court and it decided that the government’s request for us to leave was illegal”.

Leaders and deputies of the Albanian opposition have described the action of The National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory as a pure political action against the owner of News 24 television, who has long denounced the big corrupt affairs in the country, from that of incinerators to tax evasions, customs corruption and other abuses. Albanian MPs like Flamur Noka, Albana Vokshi, Genc Pollo, Dashnor Sula, Luçiano Boçi, Luan Baçi or Korreshi have called it an alarm bell for democracy and an act of revenge.

Sali Berisha, Leader of the Democratic Party, the main opposition party in Albania said that Edi Rama has ordered the demolition of a part of the resort in a flagrant violation of the law. “What I condemn with the greatest force and cannot agree with is the political background of these actions. Attempts to destroy a media group contrary to the laws of the country are reprehensible, unconstitutional” said Berisha.

The leader of Freedom Party Ilir Meta said that the illegal action of The National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory in “Prestige Resort” at the peak of the tourist season is a direct attack on the freedom of the media. “Time to put an end to the illusions of a schizophrenia that knows neither the Constitution, nor the law, nor any fundamental right! Time to put the brakes on the regime of the robbers who are looting the country and destroying legal properties” said Ilir Meta.

Lulzim Basha, former chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania, said that with the continuous acts to control every media, Edi Rama tries to keep the most corrupt and incriminated government afloat. Justice must act without delay against the pressure of Edi Rama against the media” said Basha.

“As the chairperson of the Commission and a free citizen, I see it as a shameful thing. Of course, it will be camouflaged, but the attack is directly on the media because News 24 television contributes to the free speech. I don’t expect anything else from this prime minister. It is a direct attack on the media before the electoral campaign” declared Flutura Acka, an Albanian MP.

The legal representative of ‘Hysenbelliu Group’, Folitjona Puraveli, said that the demolition decision is illegal and came only after the demolition had started.

“Today we got the decision. On the 25th of August we had a surprise inspection and an illegal report was left. On the 25th of August we had a surprise inspection and an illegal report was left. This is not a new hotel. The initial contract started since 1996. The decision came half an hour ago. This will bring many problems because it has consequences. There are German, Nordic tourists here witnessing this act” said Puraveli.

After the diggers arrived early in the morning in a hotel full of tourists, there have been many reactions in the country. The head of the Albanian Tourist Union, Rrahman Kasa, called it madness that numerous forces of the state police and The National Inspectorate for the Protection of the Territory have landed and are destroying the facilities and pools of a hotel that is contracted by the world’s largest tour operators.