For months, renowned plagiarism hunter Dr. Stefan Weber, renowned private investigator Vera Dumser, and even former members of the Albanian secret service have been investigating the Fate Velaj case. The result: contradictions, scandals – and allegations that, in their view, make Ambassador Fate Velaj unacceptable. Even before his appointment as ambassador to Vienna, there were doubts within the Austrian Foreign Ministry. Internal officials even sent a verbal note to the Albanian Foreign Ministry to push for a different candidate for the position.

The reasons: doubts about his qualifications, indications of dual citizenship, and his parallel commercial activities in Austria.

Plagiarism scandal in master’s thesis

Plagiarism hunter Dr. Stefan Weber took a close look at Velaj’s master’s thesis, Good Morning, Balkan (2006, University of Applied Arts Vienna), and came to the conclusion:

“Even if it had not been plagiarized, the thesis does not meet the minimum standards of an academic paper.”

According to Weber, Velaj copied passages from Dr. Emil Brix (director of the Diplomatic Academy Vienna), among others. In Brix’s original text, the term “Central Europe” appears, but Velaj changed this to “Southeast Europe.” Source: Emil Brix, Die Furche (2003). Brix is a former ambassador, director of the Diplomatic Academy Vienna, and president of the Austrian Research Association.

Weber’s conclusion:

“The thesis comprises less than 40 pages of continuous text. The non-plagiarized passages consist largely of interviews. No real original work is apparent.”

Detective investigates: Social welfare despite millions in assets

Private detective Vera Dumser discovered that Velaj was receiving social welfare in Austria even though he had previously declared assets of 1.2 million euros in the Albanian parliament – a clear case of social welfare fraud, according to Dumser.

In addition, according to several sources, Velaj is accused of hiding his criminally convicted sister-in-law in the Vienna embassy.

Purchased titles & questionable awards

Weber and Dumser raise further questions:

• An allegedly purchased academic title from the scandal-ridden “Crystal University” – and the question of how Velaj even obtained admission to study in Austria.
• Honors such as the Golden Medal of Merit of the Republic or a professorship, the basis for which, according to Dumser, “must be reviewed immediately.”
• Possible corruption surrounding the awarding of these titles and the appointment of new honorary consuls from 2025.
• Fiduciary management of possible funds from Albanian politics.

Dumser also asks:

“Will Fate Velaj regain Austrian citizenship after his term of office?”

Her answer:

“A former electrician buys an academic title in Albania, fakes a degree to gain admission to university in Austria, plans a master’s thesis, expands his network and status through his position, and creates a world for himself that suits him, just like Pippi Longstocking. Austrian politicians support him and look the other way. The fact is: Velaj should not be allowed to obtain Austrian citizenship because of these transgressions.”

Traces of secret service involvement

Former members of the Albanian secret service confirm:

During the communist era, it would have been virtually impossible to travel across borders as easily as Velaj did without contacts to foreign (secret) services. The reference in his bachelor’s thesis that his father studied in Russia also raises questions. Insiders do not rule out that Velaj worked for the former Yugoslav secret service.

Political explosiveness

The allegations are so serious that Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) is under pressure. As a member of parliament, she had already submitted a parliamentary inquiry about Velaj’s appointment process together with Helmut Brandstätter. Now, as foreign minister, she herself is responsible.

The opposition’s demands: Immediate dismissal of Fate Velaj and clarification of why he remains in office despite the known allegations.

The following are on the table:

• A lawsuit against the Foreign Ministry
• A motion of no confidence against the minister herself
• An investigative committee to look into the appointment process and the role of former ministers

The accusation: Meinl-Reisinger is said to have known about the allegations for months and covered up the case despite overwhelming evidence.

Screenshot: Kronen Zeitung

The SPÖ connection

Even as a refugee, Velaj apparently sought contact with SPÖ bigwigs. He enrolled in party seminars and tried to establish his first networks. He is said to have asked everyone from Christian Kern to Alfred Gusenbauer for letters of reference to bolster his credibility.

Noteworthy: As a former refugee from Traiskirchen, he plans to present his book Kreuztanne (Cross Pine) in Traiskirchen on September 23 together with the current vice chancellor and former mayor Babler. Whether the work is actually his own is as open as the question of whether Babler will even give the laudatory speech after the latest revelations.

“From donkey to knight”

The well-known Albanian journalist and analyst Kastriot Myftaraj (1966–2022), who died under unexplained circumstances, dedicated an article to Velaj back in 2014. It states:

“In Albania, they say that the knighthood (Golden Order of Merit) that Fate received was the moment when the donkey became a knight. And when Edi Rama (Prime Minister of Albania) hugged him at the ceremony, he is said to have whispered in his ear: ‘My old friend, the donkey deserved this award more than you.’”

Conclusion

An ambassador whose résumé, according to the investigations, consists of plagiarism, scandals, and questionable contacts. The allegations range from welfare fraud and purchased titles to alleged connections to secret services.

The question no longer seems to be whether Fate Velaj has to go – but when.