A case of fake property titles in Kiparos raises questions for the authorities

While the Albanian state talks daily about legal security and property guarantees, the reality on the ground shows another, much darker face. It is the face of an administration that hides evidence, a prosecutor's office that "kills" files, and a justice system that, in the name of "human error," amnesties the organized crime of property embezzlement.

The latest case in the seaside village of Kiparos is a mirror of what could be called “theft with state blessings.” A story that begins with the falsification of name and age, and ends in 2026 with an institution like the Land Registry (ASHK) refusing to provide information, constituting the last shield of a criminal plan.

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The Legal Absurdity: The 14-Year-Old Owner

According to Law 7501 of 1991, the land was distributed to rural families. In Kiparos, however, the documents speak of a biological and legal miracle: a minor of just 14 years old managed to acquire land as the head of the family, using the name of another owner, born in 1911. This is not a technical error. This is a well-planned robbery, where the real name of the legal heir was used as a “vehicle” to pass the property into the hands of someone who was neither legally nor morally entitled to it.

The Origin of Crime: The Commoner and the Trick of the Notary

But a fraud of this magnitude cannot be done by one person alone; it requires accomplices with local authority. The starting point of this robbery dates back to 2012, when the former village head signed topographic diagrams for lands that did not belong to his family. He stamped documents for which he had no authorization or legal right, thus paving the way for the alienation.

Then the notary system took over. In order to register a property in the state registers, the law requires the presentation of original documents. But in this case, a compromised notary committed a blatant violation: he certified a simple photocopy of the forged title deed (AMTP). To cover his tracks, the notary used an absurd legal trick, justifying that he took the photocopy from an old will kept in the archive. By bypassing the vital obligation to verify the original document, the notary gave “legal force” to a useless piece of paper, legitimizing the theft.

The Estate: The Wall of Silence

One would think that with the digitization of services, transparency would be the watchword for the State Land Registry Service (ASHK). But for citizens who claim their rights, ASHK has turned into a bunker. When the citizen, armed with a court decision proving that his AMTP is the original, requests information about the status of stolen property, the institution's response is infuriating: "We have no legal basis to give you information."

This “lack Of legal basis” is actually a delaying tactic. while The institution remains silent, the person who forged the documents continues to make updates and possibly transfer the property to third parties. ASHK’s silence is Not neutrality; it is passive complicity in the crime.

Justice: When the Prosecutor becomes The forger's Lawyer

If the Land Registry is the wall, the Prosecutor's Office is in many cases the "graveyard" of evidence. The scandal deepens with the way the prosecution handled the file. Although the evidence "screamed" — a 14-year-old beneficiary, the 2018 statement confessing to the theft, the illegal signatures of the community leader and the notary's trick with the will — the prosecutor chose the path of protecting the crime.

By characterizing the offense only as “Abuse of Power” by a simple lawyer of the Mortgage Registry, the prosecution left out of the indictment the entire “Structured Group”: the beneficiary, the community manager and the notary. The prosecutor played the role of “undercover lawyer” by offering the court a deeply selective investigation. This gave the Court of First Instance the “allegation” to close the case with an acquittal. It is no coincidence that prosecutors involved in such file closures have ended up being permanently dismissed from the vetting process due to lack of integrity.

The "Umbrella" Policy and the Appeal to SPAK

The system's ignorance of the facts is not without reason. Often, these structured criminal groups operate under the "umbrella" of political actors. The abandonment that citizens feel by their protection system is total. Even paid lawyers often choose not to appear at hearings, leaving the citizen to the mercy of fate.

The new justice system is now being put to the test. The Supreme Judicial Inspectorate (ILD) must investigate why prosecutors conducted a selective investigation. On the other hand, the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption (SPAK) must crack down on the real network that makes robbery possible on the southern coast. Justice in Albania cannot be content with calling robbery “human error”; it must show the will to punish the alienation of citizen’s property, regardless of who is behind it.

The article is based on information from the Court of Avlona and notarized statements of the accused and his father, as well as correspondence with ASHK Avlona via e-albania.