Amant Josifi and the Milton Group call-center network (Albania)
Status: Wanted (Spain warrant, reported Dec 2022). Later status not confirmed.
Summary
Related case, not about Olsi Rama directly. OCCRP and Dagens Nyheter reporting (2020) named Amant Josifi, then an adviser to the Defence Minister, as owner of a Tirana call center tied to the Milton Group network, which was reported to run scam operations from Kyiv and other centers. OCCRP reported in December 2022 that Spain issued an arrest warrant for Josifi, and that SPAK confirmed it only after press inquiries. Opposition leader Sali Berisha has used the case to make claims about Olsi Rama, and Edi Rama denied that the government shielded Josifi. Albanian outlets have reported later that Josifi was arrested in a Spanish proceeding, but the retrieved sources do not confirm the date or the outcome. No Albanian court decision or charge against Josifi was found.
Key facts
- Exit.al (4 Mar 2020) reports OCCRP and Dagens Nyheter named Josifi as owner of an Albanian call center in an international scam; Josifi said he is a passive owner.
- Spain warrant reported by OCCRP (Dec 2022). SPAK said the warrant was not issued by Albania but that a citizen wanted abroad is also wanted domestically (OCCRP summary).
- Police did not answer OCCRP's questions on tracking him (OCCRP summary).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (1)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- A Spanish arrest warrant for Josifi was reported by OCCRP in December 2022 (OCCRP is the reporting source; the warrant document itself was not retrieved).
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat Josifi owned a call center used in a fraud scheme targeting victims abroad (OCCRP and DN, 2020; Spanish authorities as reported).
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationOCCRP and Dagens Nyheter (2020, as reported by exit.al): Josifi owns a Tirana call center used in an industrial-scale fraud (phrase attributed to Dagens Nyheter by exit.al).
- AllegationSali Berisha (BalkanWeb, page dated 16 Apr 2026 as fetched): Josifi used cryptocurrency for fraud worth billions of euros, and asked why there is no arrest warrant for him. Opposition claim; the Albanian warrant status is not confirmed in the retrieved text.
Open questions (3)
- Has Josifi been arrested, extradited or charged in Spain or Albania, and when?
- What Spanish case number and court apply to the warrant?
- What role, if any, did the Tirana call center have in the Milton Group operations?
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Amant Josifi (OCCRP and exit.al, 2020): denied a formal tie to Milton Group; said he is now a passive owner and is not responsible for the current board, which denies all charges.
- Edi Rama (Dec 2022): denied any link to Josifi without naming him, and said the government does not shield him from prosecution (Shqiptarja, 4 Dec 2022).
Timeline
Full timeline →Media
OCCRP and Dagens Nyheter name Amant Josifi as owner of Tirana call center in Milton Group scam network (as reported by exit.al)
Exit.al article. Olsi Rama is not mentioned in this article. Josifi says he is a passive owner; Keselman (Milton) denied to OCCRP that its call centers run a scam; the Ministry of Defence gave no response.
Government
Edi Rama denies government shields Amant Josifi; says brother's name was dragged into political dispute
Shqiptarja report of Rama's statement. Rama said the government is not a shield for any activity and that the former official is wanted by justice; on his brother, he said there is no basis for linking him to the case. Olsi Rama is not quoted in the fetched text.
Connections
- Investigation←Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK)Source label: Officially reported
SPAK confirmed Spanish warrant only after press inquiries
Evidence: OCCRP (Dec 2022), as summarised in search results: SPAK confirmed the warrant after repeated press inquiries and said a citizen wanted abroad is also wanted domestically.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 4 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 2 sources
- Publisher
- OCCRP
- Date
- Dec 2022
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- 4 Dec 2022
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 2 sources
- Publisher
- exit.al
- Date
- 4 Mar 2020
- Publisher
- OCCRP
- Date
- 2020