New Delhi, June 7 -- TIRANA, Albania - The investigation did not begin with the protests. It began with a document trail. On June 1, Albania's Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime - known by its Albanian acronym, SPAK - confirmed it had opened a formal criminal inquiry into how land in the Vjosa-Narta protected zone changed hands and how the area lost its conservation status, both prerequisites for the luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner's investment firm that has now put thousands of Albanians on the streets for seven consecutive nights.

a businessman accused of ties to the Italian mafia, a former judge who resigned rather than submit to the asset-scrutiny process Albania's justice reform requires, the daughter of ...