Finally, in January 1822, he killed Ali Pasha through treason, and sent his severed head to the Sultan, and his star seemed on the rise again. He assembled an army of 80,000 men (a huge number by Balkan standards) and was about to march in order to finally crush the Greek uprising, when disaster struck. His political enemies in Constantinople, alarmed at the fame and power he had achieved and the prestige that the successful ending of both Ali Pasha's and the Greek revolts would bring him, accused him of misappropriating a large part of Ali's treasure.
In January 1822, he eliminated Ali Pasha through treachery and sent his severed head to the Sultan, which led to his reputation rising again. He assembled an army of 80,000 men (a large force in Balkan standards) to quell the Greek uprising but faced a setback due to accusations from political rivals in Constantinople about misappropriating Ali Pasha's wealth.