Albanian businessman Rezart Taçi has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of laundering €18.3 million belonging to the Italian mafia group, Cosa Nostra. The Specialized Criminal Court also ordered the confiscation of the funds held in Albanian banks by suspected members of Cosa Nostra. Taçi was tried in absentia on charges of money laundering and organized criminal group participation due to his hospitalization since 2021.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) has separately investigated four Italian suspects linked to Cosa Nostra – Francesco Zummo, Ignazio Zumo, Fabio Petruzzella, and Daniele Cestagalli. Prosecutors alleged that Taçi facilitated the laundering of the funds through transactions involving several oil companies. The €18.3 million was previously held within Albanian financial institutions.
The Italian suspects are currently undergoing legal proceedings in Italy as part of the ongoing investigation.
