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The arrest of Meta, in the international media

2024-10-22 09:01:00, Politikë CNA

The arrest of the head of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, was also covered in foreign media.

ABC News, through an article, has reported the arrest of the former President

ABC NEWS article

Prosecutors arrested former president Ilir Meta on Monday on suspicion that the leader of the Freedom Party was involved in suspected corruption, money laundering and concealment of personal income and property.

Meta's lawyer, who was president from 2017-2022 and is now an open critic of current Prime Minister Edi Rama, denounced the case as a politically motivated attack on an opposition leader. The former ambassador of the EU in Albania, Romana Vlahutin, welcomed the arrest as a sign that no one in Albania is above the law.

The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime, which deals with senior political and state officials, said in a statement that Meta's arrest followed a five-year investigation.

Meta's ex-wife, Monika Kryemadhi, a member of parliament and former leader of the Freedom Party, was also charged with the same crimes and ordered to report to the police. Two other people are accused of money laundering and corruption.

The investigation continues and prosecutors have not yet filed formal criminal charges. Meta can be sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Meta, 55 years old, was arrested by the police in the capital, Tirana. Television stations showed masked, plainclothes police officers taking Meta from his vehicle after he returned from Kosovo before holding a press conference.

Police said the "use of force" was applied after Meta refused to comply with orders to leave his car and used abusive language towards officers and law enforcement officials.

The party's General Secretary, Tedi Blushi, called it "a criminal kidnapping." After the meeting with Meta at the police department, his lawyer Genc Gjokutaj said that the case against the former president was politically motivated.

"Today's act is nothing but a declaration of war, putting two opposition leaders under political arrest," said Blushi.

Prosecutors said that when he was Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy, Meta had abused his authority to influence various businesses in which he and Kryemadhi had made significant sums of money.

As a political party leader before becoming president in 2017. Meta failed to account for about $460,000 (423,000 euros) he used for lobbying in the United States, prosecutors said.

Both Meta and Kryemadhi are accused of having bought properties with illegal money, or of not declaring personal health expenses.

Meta has accused the current government of running a "kleptocratic regime" and concentrating all legislative, administrative and judicial powers in Rama's hands.

Albania, which is seeking membership in the European Union, has been plagued in its post-communist era with corruption that has damaged its democratic, economic and social development.

Judicial institutions established with the support of the EU and the United States have launched several investigations against former senior government officials who are suspected of being involved in corruption.

Sali Berisha, former prime minister and former president and leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is also accused of corruption and is under house arrest awaiting trial.

Berisha denounced Meta's arrest as what he called the government's efforts to destroy the opposition and called for a nationwide protest on October 29.

Immediately after Meta's arrest, European Council official and former EU ambassador Vlahutin said on the X social platform, "Justice reform in full force! There are no untouchables.”/ CNA