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

Albanian prosecutors have released investigation files raising suspicions that land sold for a coastal resort project backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump may have changed hands using forged property deeds. The disclosure has added a legal dimension to a development already facing protests over its environmental impact.

The land deal under scrutiny

According to case files made public by Albania's anticorruption prosecution service, land on the country's southern coast was transferred in the spring to a development company. Investigators suspect that falsified titles were used in the sale and that proceeds linked to drug trafficking may have been laundered into Albanian property to disguise their origin.

The files reportedly run to around 200 pages and reference a large sum, in the region of 110 million euros, frozen in a notary account, along with arrest warrants connected to narcotics trafficking. A Miami-based businessman named as the seller, and his lawyer, feature in the documents.

Protests and a contested site

The project has drawn opposition because it is planned for protected wetlands and beaches that are home to sea turtles and flamingos. Demonstrations that began earlier in the year escalated when riot police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters. Dozens were arrested during the unrest, and around 15 officers were reported injured before a court later released most of those detained.

The involvement of high-profile American backers has kept the development in the international spotlight, and the fresh allegations about the land's ownership history have intensified questions about how the site was acquired.

Why it matters

The case highlights how large foreign-backed developments can collide with local environmental protections and unresolved questions about land ownership. It also shows the role independent prosecutors can play in scrutinising deals involving powerful interests, a theme that resonates in many countries where communities push back against projects on ecologically sensitive land.