From Paris Normandie / “You never call us!” is one of those reproaches that almost every child has heard from their mother, even when they called just the day before. On July 25, 44-year-old Albanian Ermal Beqiri decided to call his mother, but the call would be followed by a series of unusual events that would land him behind bars in France.
Ermal Beqiri was arrested in France after his plane flew over the Penly nuclear power plant, in Seine-Maritime, between Dieppe and Le Tréport, an area considered highly sensitive. It is not known whether it was a case of error in direction or negligence.
In front of French authorities, on July 27, Beqiri stated that he had made a mistake with the flight altitude and that at the moment he passed over the power plant he was talking on the phone with his mother.
As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to a fine of 7,000 euros, an amount that for this person, described as a millionaire, is considered more of an insignificant episode. But the matter did not end there.
Although he was expected to be released after the completion of this procedure, Beqiri continues to remain in Beauvais prison, after Albanian authorities sent a request to France for his extradition.
The Albanian businessman is wanted in Albania on several charges related to fraud and organized crime. According to Albanian authorities, he is suspected of having played a role in a wide-ranging corruption scandal related to rigged tenders, with values reaching millions of euros, the French media article states.
SPAK has announced that investigations conducted in cooperation with French authorities have led to the identification of several assets suspected of having criminal origins and linked to Beqiri.
Among them are bank accounts with a total value of more than 2 million euros, two apartments, a tourist plane and vehicles.
Albanian authorities have also identified a castle in the Oise department, in northern France, with an estimated value of around 2.6 million euros. According to Albanian media, it is Auteuil Castle, in Berneuil-en-Bray, south of Beauvais.
Ermal Beqiri was not an unknown name in Albania. An information systems engineer educated in France, he has held important positions in public institutions and has presented himself as an independent expert, especially in the field of the fight against cybercrime.
In 2021, he acquired the company Soft & Solution, which he then developed in the Albanian information technology market.
On his LinkedIn profile, Beqiri has also published a photo with French President Emmanuel Macron, which is believed to have been taken in May 2025, during Macron’s official visit to Albania.
The Albanian businessman has been in Beauvais prison for about a month. On August 20, he requested his release before the investigation chamber of the Amiens Court of Appeal.
His lawyer claimed that his client was being held in “illegal detention.” According to the defense, Beqiri had learned from Albanian media that he was wanted and had notified French authorities himself.
“He made himself available to the authorities, gave his address. How can one speak of a ‘wanted person who has escaped’?” the lawyer stated.
The prosecution opposed the release, arguing that Beqiri’s wealth and pilot’s license would enable him to quickly leave French territory and evade authorities. At the hearing, Beqiri spoke last.
“I came to France at the age of 16 and here I have my second family. Yes, I move a lot, to Turkey, Slovenia, France… I could have gone anywhere, even to Dubai, but I love France. Even though I didn’t choose the best place to hide, nor the best place for taxes…”, he declared.
The Court of Appeal in Amiens has decided that Ermal Beqiri will remain in custody, while the procedure for the extradition request to Albania continues.