Publikime Shqiptare LLC
Publikime Shqiptare LLC, the company which publishes Gazeta Dita and its website gazetadita.al, was first registered under the ownership of Elis Sulaj, an employee of Alban Dabulla, who later sold his shares to the brothers, Alban and Besnik Dabulla, who bought 85% of the shares in the company.
The editor in chief of the newspaper Adrian Thano, controls 10% of Publikime Shqiptare LLC, while the late Ardian Osoja’s children had 5%. After Osoja’s death his shares went to his children, while Alban Dabulla sold 10% of his shares to Besnik Rama.
Publikime Shqiptare LLC publishes the daily newspaper Dita since the end of 2012. The newspaper is left-wing and supports the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama, although in some cases has been critical toward its former minister of interior Saimir Tahiri and other ex-ministers of the center-left government. The paper is also sometimes perceived as defending some aspects of the communist regime in Albania. Dita is founded mainly from advertising of lotteries.
Business Form
Private
Legal Form
Limited Liability Company
Business Sectors
Publishing
Individual Owner
Together with his brother Alban Dabulla he is the owner of the daily newspaper ‘Dita.’ However, Besnik Dabulla has fewer businesses than his brother Alban Dabulla. Apart from the 40% of shares in the company ‘Publikime Shqiptare’ LLC, he owns a fast-food restaurant. Other companies in trade, services and advertising where he had shares have been suspended. He has been accused by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha of ties to organized crime, allegations that he has brushed off as politically motivated.
Alban Dabulla is a businessman and the owner of the company ‘Publikime Shqiptare’ LLC, which publishes the daily newspaper ‘Dita.’ Alban Dabulla, was the majority shareholder of the company Publikime Shqiptare LLC, before he sold 10% of his shares to Besnik Rama. Dabulla is a businessman with investments in gambling industry. He is 40% shareholder in the company Nacional Sh.a, which organizes the ‘Telebingo Shqiptare’ lottery game and 70% owner in the sports betting company Eurolive. Dabulla has also shares in the companies Celere, AB OVOV, Vapeks and Universiteti Dita. He has been accused by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha of ties to organized crime, allegations that he has brushed off as politically motivated.
Adrian Thano
Adrian Thano – is the editor in chief of the newspaper Dita and a shareholder with 10% of the shares in the company. He has long career in the Albania press and is a former director of information at Vizion Plus TV. Thano spent the biggest part of his career at the daily Shekullli as editor in chief and director. Based on his editorials/comments published in the newspaper, he is perceived as a left-wing journalist. Thano is a shareholder at the company Universiteti Dita, together with the Dabulla Brothers, which operates in the education field. He is also at the same time the head of the Agency for Support of Civil Society, AMSHC, which has faced often accusations of corruption and nepotism.
Other Online Outlets
www.gazetadita.al
Media Business
Publishing
Gazeta Dita (100%)
Business
Sports Betting
Eurolive JSC (70%)
Lottery
Nacional JSC (40%)
Construction
AB OVO (40%)
Retail
VAAL (25%)
Education
Universiteti Dita (75%)
Restaurant
Liburnia (100%)
Postal/delivery services
CELERE (100%)
General Information
Founding Year
2012
Affiliated Interests Founder
Alban Dabulla, Besnik Dabulla, Adrian Thano and Ardian Osoja – Dabulla brothers who control now 75% of the shares of the Publikime Shqiptare LLC, are considered the founders of it, alongside editor-in-chief Adrian Thano who has 10% of the shares and Ardian Osoja, who passed away prematurely due to health problems.
Dabulla Brothers are the sons of former Socialist MP Arta Dade. The two brothers have been accused several times by former right-wing Prime Minister Sali Berisha of being part of organized crime, a charge that they have denied as politically motivated. Berisha has declared in parliament that they have been part of a criminal gang called “Revenge for Justice’, which has been on trial for almost two decades in Albania’s courts. The accusation has been rejected by the two brothers who have responded to Berisha in kind. The newspaper Dita is famous for its first page cartoon, where Berisha features often and is accused of corruption and crimes during his tenure as the head of state.
Alban Dubulla – owns the majority of the shares in the newspaper and is in the gambling business. He is 40% shareholder in the company Nacional JSC, which organizes the ‘Telebingo Shqiptare’ lottery game and 70% owner in the sports betting company Eurolive. Dabulla has also shares in the companies Celere, AB OVOV, Vapeks and Universiteti Dita.
Besnik Dabulla – has fewer businesses than his brother. Apart from the 40% of the shares in the company Publikime Shqiptare LLC, he owns a fast-food restaurant. Other companies in trade, services and advertising where he had shares have been suspended.
Adrian Thano – is the editor in chief of the newspaper Dita and a shareholder with 10% of the shares in the company. He has previously worked as editor in chief and director of the newspaper Shekulli. Like the Dabulla brothers he is perceived as leaning left of the political spectrum. Thano is a shareholder at the company Universiteti Dita LLC, which operates in the education sector.
Ardian Osoja – passed away prematurely due to health problems, had been previously engaged in the management of several daily newspapers. His shares have been passed on to his two children, who are now minority shareholders in the company.
Employees
Missing Data
Contact
Rruga Donika Kastrioti, Vila 9/1, Kati 1, mbrapa Kullave Binjake, Tirana
Tel: +355 672078182
Website: www.gazetadita.al
Tax/ ID Number
L22205001K
Financial Information
Revenue (Financial Data/ Optional)
0.3 Mio. $ / 39 Mio. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
0.07 Mio. $ / 9.2 Mio. Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Management
Other Influential People
Bedri Islami, Viktor Malaj, Mojkom Zeqo, Arben Duka – the four of them form a sort of writers’ collegium of the newspaper, which calls itself an info-analytical newspaper.
Bedri Islami – is a former journalist with the daily Zeri i Popullit (Voice of the People), the publication of Albania’s Workers Party during the communist regime. He is also known as one of the leaders of Kosovo’s Popular Front, a leftist political organization, which was the political arm of the Kosovo Liberation Army in the diaspora and the base for the later Kosovo Democratic Party. Islami has been named lately as an adviser by Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. Islami is known for his critical stances of former right-wing Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Viktor Malaj – No biographical data were found on Viktor Malaj, apart from his frequent headlines in the newspaper Dita.
Moikom Zeqo – is a historian and a former director of the National Museum, who has published several books.
Arben Duka – is a satirist and a song writer. He is known for being critical of right-wing politicians and the former Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Further Information
Meta Data
The ownership structure and financial statement are publicly available on the Albanian National Business Registry. The financial data provided are for 2016. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2016 was used to convert the amounts into USD. See sources for more.
