Jared Kushner-Backed Albania Resort Land Deal Under Investigation Over Suspected Forged Property Deeds

Albanian prosecutors are investigating whether land sold for a luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner was transferred using forged property deeds.

The investigation focuses on a protected stretch of Albania's southern coastline sold in April by businessman Artur Shehu to Albania Land Development, the company behind the Kushner-linked project, adding another legal challenge to a development already facing sustained public opposition.

The revelation came after months of demonstrations against the proposed resort, which is planned near environmentally protected wetlands and beaches inhabited by sea turtles and flamingos. Protests against the development have since widened into accusations of corruption directed at Prime Minister Edi Rama's government, although officials deny wrongdoing and insist the project complies with Albanian and European Union law.

Jared Kushner-Backed Resort Land Under Criminal Investigation

According to the files compiled by Albania's Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime, known as SPAK, prosecutors are examining whether ownership documents connected to the land sale were falsified.

The case files reportedly identify Shehu, a businessman based in Miami, as the seller who transferred the property to Albania Land Development earlier this year.

Prosecutors further allege that Shehu and associates channelled proceeds from cocaine trafficking into Albanian real estate, using allegedly falsified property titles to conceal the origin of the money. As part of the investigation, authorities have frozen approximately €110 million linked to the transaction in a notary's account.

Those allegations remain unproven.

Shehu's lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, strongly rejected the accusations, telling Reuters that 'Nothing that has been alleged regarding Mr Artur Shehu's character is true.' He maintained that his client was neither involved in drug trafficking nor document forgery and argued the land had belonged to Shehu's family since Ottoman times.

Cakrani also said his client had little concern over the arrest warrant issued against him, claiming it was widely believed in Albania that prosecutors operated under political and business influence. He added that Shehu fled to the United States in 1998 after gang violence killed his brother and uncle, before later being granted asylum.

Reuters reported it found no evidence that Kushner, Sazan Real Estate Development, or any other backers of the resort were aware of prosecutors' suspicions surrounding Shehu when the transaction took place.

Kushner-Trump Project Faces Growing Political Pressure

The reported investigation arrives as opposition to the project continues to intensify across Albania.

Environmental campaigners have criticised plans to build luxury hotels, villas and marinas along a protected coastline that supports rare wildlife. Flamingos have become the symbol of what protesters now call the 'Flamingo Revolution,' a movement that has expanded beyond environmental concerns into criticism of alleged government corruption.

Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, previously said the idea for the resort emerged after they saw Albania's coastline while travelling by yacht. Kushner later unveiled architectural renderings of the proposed development on social media in 2024.

Public demonstrations have become increasingly confrontational. Last week, riot police used tear gas and water cannon outside Albania's parliament after clashes with protesters. Authorities said 15 officers were injured and 25 demonstrators were arrested. A Tirana court later released 19 detainees, while placing two under house arrest and ordering another 12 to report periodically to judicial police.

Among those protesting is Entela Koja, who described the demonstrations as 'a revolution against the big guys who want to use Albania like a playground for the rich.'

Separate from SPAK's criminal investigation, villagers living near the proposed resort have continued a decade-long legal dispute over ownership of the land itself. They say historical title deeds and tax records prove they, rather than Shehu, are the rightful owners.

One of those landowners, Nikolin Markpalaj, told Al Jazeera, 'I told them it would not be easy for them to take this land and enjoy someone else's land and property. What is happening in this country is madness.'

Meanwhile, Rama's government has dismissed allegations surrounding the development and characterised the protests as politically motivated, maintaining that the project remains compliant with both Albanian legislation and European Union regulations.