Kastriot Rexhepi, the BESA member of Parliament whose disappearance derailed the vote of no confidence in the Zaev Government yesterday, was reportedly blackmailed with wiretaps. The Albanian language Syri news site reports that the materials contained evidence of Rexhepi’s inside dealings with the ruling DUI party, for whose benefit he was working to divide BESA and its former ally, the Alternative party, but also his links to a recently founded Salafi Muslim group.

According to the site, Rexhepi was working together with the former Mayor of Skopje’s Cair municipality Izet Mexhiti so sabotage the BESA campaign to gain this municipality in 2017. Rexhepi reportedly worked to ensure that the DUI candidate wins the race in Cair against his own BESA supported nominee, which led the Alternative wing to split from BESA and form its own party. The wiretaps show his dealings with DUI officials and would expose that he was a DUI mole within BESA, the news site reports.

Kastriot Rexhepi divided BESA with his betrayal. Now he is again carving up the Albanian opposition and works to ensure that DUI remains in power, Syri reports.

Rexhepi went missing as the vote of no confidence was scheduled and after hours of frantic searching for him, the BESA officials declared him kidnapped by the Zaev regime. A number of social media messages from Rexhepi later indicated that he freely turned against his own party and decided to support Zaev remaining in power. The Albanian opposition parties suspect that he was exposed to a mix of threats, blackmail and bribery.