The Hon. Frank Wolf
House of Representatives
Washington, DC
Dear Congressman Wolf:
On October 3, 2006, I wrote to you to inquire about your relationship with Albanian Minister of Defense Fatmir Mediu. My letter contained a report alleging that Mediu was arrested in Italy along with Gazmend Mahmutaj, a reputed Albanian gangster who was accused of being a king pin of Albanian human traffickers. I also pointed out that Mediu has been the target of numerous allegations that he maintains close relationships with other drug and human traffickers in Albania. Also brought to your attention was the fact that Mediu owns large homes, Mercedes-Benz cars, wears very expensive suits and owns at least three wristwatches (two shown below) that may be worth as much as $50,000. Yet, analyzing his own declarations to Parliament, for his entire working life his total cumulative income appears to be well below $100,000. Given these circumstances, it seems you could say the same thing to Mr. Mediu that Ricky Ricardo used to say to Lucy, GÇ£youGÇÖve got some GÇÿsplaininGÇÖ to do!GÇ¥
But Congressman Wolf, you also have some GÇ£splaininGÇÖ to do because it was your office that was used to arrange for Fatmir Mediu to testify before the Helsinki Commission of Congress in May 2004 so that Mediu could protest against corruption and trafficking activities of the former Albanian government. That performance was then used by Mediu and his coalition as part of their platform against crime and corruption that ultimately saw them assume power in Albania. Unfortunately, it looks like Mediu and his coalition partner, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, were only interested in regaining power so they could take their turn enjoying the spoils of corruption and trafficking, the same ills for which they criticized the former Albanian government of Fatos Nano at the Helsinki Commission. It is easy to come to this conclusion because the new government, led by Sali Berisha and Fatmir Mediu, has not opened a single case against any of the corrupt politicians they so openly accused at the Helsinki Commission. Furthermore, they have intentionally avoided investigations of sectors where corruption was ramped, like the telecom industry, where they have placed their friends in key positions. So in retrospect it seems the Helsinski Commission, an arm of the U.S. Congress, was used as a tool by your friend Fatmir Mediu to help him and his friends do exactly what was done by the Nano government - a government that Mediu, with your assistance, blasted for corrupt practices at a Helsinki Commission hearing.
Congressman Wolf, you need to speak out about this matter and what you knew about MediuGÇÖs background and when you knew it. Were you just a dupe who trusted a guy who said the right things? Or were you aware of MediuGÇÖs past and did you simply divert your eyes and hold your nose? In any event, in order to remove you from even the slightest degree of suspicion over this affair, you should now make a campaign pledge that you will do everything possible to get to the bottom of the questions that have been raised about Fatmir Mediu such as: where did he get his wealth, was he arrested in Italy and what were the circumstances, and what substance is there to the persistent rumors that he associates with known Albanian gangsters? And finally ask Mediu this: why has his government refrained from prosecuting those same corrupt officials he so aggressively attacked in front of the Helsinki Commission?
I will be happy to assist you in getting to the bottom of this matter because I am sure you will agree that if you win the election for Congress in the 10th District of Virginia, you cannot afford to affiliate with any people who may have even remote links to human and drug traffickers.
Sincerely,
Gary Q. Kokalari