The saga of Erion Veliaj's fraud

2026-04-28 21:18:59, Denoncim CNA

Other strong doubts about the authenticity of the public CV of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, particularly regarding the date of completion of his Master's studies, have recently developed.

This issue follows a series of previous controversies regarding his claimed titles and accolades.

According to his official CV, Veliaj completed a Master's in European Studies at the University of Sussex in 2003, immediately after completing his Bachelor's studies at Michigan in 2002.

You can find his CV at the link below:

https://pushtetivendor.reporter.al/erion-veliaj-cv/

However, an investigation by "Ora", based on official communications with the British university, and respecting every law of the United Kingdom on public information, reached us with an official response, but which reveals another fact. According to the university's response, Erion Veliaj's name appears in the Graduate Brochure of winter 2006, and not 2003.

The saga of Erion Veliaj's fraud

This three-year difference in graduation date raises important questions. In 2006, Erion Veliaj was a well-known and politically active figure in Albania, as the leader of the “Mjaft!” movement. It remains unclear how he could have completed his studies in the United Kingdom while he was engaged full-time in Tirana.

Also, the reason for stating an earlier graduation date on his CV remains unclear.

This is not the first time that Mr. Veliaj's credentials have been called into question. Previously, he was widely criticized for presenting a certificate of appreciation as a significant "Grand Honoris Causa" title.

Also, in September 2019, the fact-checking portal Faktoje.al revealed that its claim of a UN award for Tirana as one of the 10 cities with the best financial performance was untrue, as no such assessment was given to the municipality during the "Bridge for Cities 4.0" conference in Vienna.

The saga of Erion Veliaj's fraud

These repeated episodes, from academic titles to international awards, create a disturbing picture about the transparency and integrity of his public image.

As the debate over diplomas and alleged merits continues, Mr. Veliaj also faces 13 serious charges from SPAK, casting his political future in an even darker light./oranews.tv