It was at the Rama-McGonigal dinner that the other former FBI agent received a hefty government contract

In the investigative file of the Department of Justice on the case of Charles McGonigal, it is said that the latter has met at least four times with the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

These are meetings documented by American investigators. On two occasions, Rama met and had dinner in the US with McGonigal. On one occasion he had dinner in New York and on the other occasion in Washington.

But at the Washington dinner on March 4, 2018, in addition to McGonigal and Agron Neza, a former special agent of the FBI was also present, according to the American file.

The Canadian expert, Stephen McIntyre, writes that it is most likely about the former special agent, Louis Bladel. The latter was McGonigal's predecessor in the FBI's top counterintelligence post.

He then created a consulting firm, which according to McIntyre, received a large contract from the Albanian government in May 2018. Just a few months after meeting with Rama, he received the contract from the Albanian government.

"Lou Bladel is Charles McGonigal's predecessor as chief of counterintelligence in the New York office. Bladel remained in office until 2016, when he was replaced by McGonigal, to retire to the private sector, moving to Ernst & Young. In 2018, the Albanian government signed an agreement with "Ernst&Young" to fight crime and tax evasion. Louis Bladel came to work in Albania and was appointed by Prime Minister Rama as the head of the special structure, set up near the government," writes journalist Klodian Tomorri.

"I welcome the team of Ernst & Young to Albania. I want to underline from the beginning that beyond the great name, known worldwide, the value of this team that comes to Albania, to work with our agencies against economic crime and evasion, lies in the fact that, firstly, it is a German-American team, or American-German as you like, with two managers, namely Mr. Bladel (Louis) and Mr. Heissner (Stefan), the first with an experience known worldwide as one of the leaders of the FBI and the second with an experience, also very good, as a part and then as a person who has covered leadership positions in the structures of the German state against economic crime.

Nga ana tjetër është e rëndësishme që kjo marrëveshje nuk është një marrëveshje konsulence, por është një marrëveshje veprimtarie të përbashkët në terren. Një ekip i gjerë gjermano-amerikan ekspertësh do të vendoset këtu në Shqipëri dhe do të punojë ngushtësisht me strukturat e hetimit të Ministrisë së Financave, hetimit tatimor, hetimit doganor dhe strukturën e krimit ekonomik të Policisë së Shtetit, për të mundësuar, nga njëra anë, çeljen e një procesi pune të përbashkët me një metodologji bashkëkohore dhe të sofistikuar dhe nga ana tjetër, rritjen e kapaciteteve të këtyre agjencive në goditjen e një fenomeni me të cilin është koha që të merremi edhe më thellësisht, pasi kemi shënuar disa rezultate të rëndësishme," pati deklaruar Edi Rama kur nënshkroi kontratën me Bladel.

Bladel is the no. 4 on the list of names released by the US court in November for the Russian-Albanian McGonigal affair. He had to be investigated together with other names, including the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.