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The conviction of Pedro Sánchez's brother brings to mind the contrast with Albania, where Olsi Rama's name has been mentioned in several cases, but without leading to criminal prosecution or trial...
A Spanish court has convicted David Sánchez, the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, of abuse of office and disqualified him from holding public office for nine years. The court concluded that the public position he took in 2017 on the local council of Badajoz was created specifically for him.
Also sentenced was Miguel Ángel Gallardo, former president of the local council and regional leader of the PSOE, who was disqualified from public office for 18 years.
According to the court's decision, the 11 convicts participated in the creation of an unnecessary position in the administration, with the intention of having David Sánchez fill it. Meanwhile, the charge of exercising influence was dropped due to lack of evidence.
The decision is a major political blow to the Spanish prime minister, who has been under pressure for months due to investigations involving people close to him. His wife, Begoña Gómez, remains under investigation, while important figures in the Socialist Party have faced accusations, arrests or sentences. Among them is the former Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, who was convicted by Spanish justice for corruption-related offences.
For years, Pedro Sánchez has been considered one of the most powerful figures on the European left and one of Edi Rama's closest political allies. Today, however, Sánchez's political calendar is being dictated by courts and investigations, not by his governing agenda.
In Tirana, the panorama is completely different.
The name of Olsi Rama, the brother of Prime Minister Edi Rama, has been publicly mentioned in several high-profile cases, including the Xibraka cocaine lab case and investigations outside Albania related to the Milton Group call center scam. However, Albanian authorities have not filed criminal charges against him. Not only that, his friend Am,ant Josifi has not been touched by Albanian law. As OCCRP and other media have reported, Josifi was a business partner with Olsi Rama in the company Pegasus Communication until 2017, and this connection has raised persistent suspicions of protection at the highest levels.
International investigations describe him not simply as an administrator, but as a "fraud boss" with political access and ties to the international group "Milton Group", which operated 6 of its 15 centers in Albania.
SPAK also closed the investigations into the Xibraka case without holding Olsi Rama accountable, even though the facts are clear that the car that entered and exited the drug warehouses belonged to Olsi Rama.
This is precisely where the political contrast lies.
In Spain, justice has struck down those closest to the prime minister, despite the political cost this brings to the government. In Albania, the prime minister's brother makes the law.
The difference is not only legal. It is also political.
In Madrid, every new development increases the pressure on Pedro Sánchez. In Tirana, Edi Rama has not faced a similar situation that directly affects his family in the courtroom. ( Linda Rama declares additional apartments and properties every year, but there is no verification for these declarations ).
This does not mean that the cases are the same. Nor does it mean that the responsibilities are comparable. But it creates a strong political contrast: in one country, the judiciary has produced decisions that affect the prime minister's inner circle; in another, names mentioned in public debates and investigative files have not ended up in court.
While Pedro Sánchez tries to keep the government afloat amid a wave of investigations, convictions and political crises, Edi Rama continues to govern without facing a similar situation that would affect his family members in a criminal sense. And this is the contrast that today separates Madrid from Tirana. / Pamphlet
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