Albanian prosecutors last week froze energy and television assets of the owner of fourth-tier English football team, issuing arrest warrants for him and his associates.
While the indictment by Albania focussed on the financing of a hydroelectric plant, Becchetti's London-based lawyer said that the purpose of the indictment was to censor his television channel, Agonset, and force him to settle other commercial disputes with the government.
"The decision to issue a warrant for his arrest is part of an ongoing campaign of harassment against him and his companies," said Becchetti's lawyer in an email sent to Reuters.
The Albanian government was not immediately available for comment.
Albania issued a warrant for Becchetti's arrest last Tuesday, saying that a company owned by Becchetti's mother inflated the price of works billed to his company KGE.
KGE was a jointly owned by the Bechetti Energy Group (BEG) and Deutsche Bank through a company called Hydro, the Albanian indictment said. It has been working on a project in southern Albania to construct a hydro-power plant, although the development remains unbuilt.
Deutsche Bank subsequently pulled out of the deal and reached a settlement with Becchetti.
"On October 30, 2013, Deutsche Bank entered into a settlement with BEG SpA and Hydro Srl resolving all outstanding proceedings and disputes between the parties," a spokesperson for Deutsche Bank said in a statement.
"The terms of the settlement are confidential and the Bank is not permitted to disclose them."
(Reporting by Alistair Smout in London and Benet Koleka in Tirana)
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