Ilir Meta, Albania’s former president and a staunch adversary of Prime Minister Edi Rama, was arrested on Monday in Tirana on charges of corruption and money laundering, as confirmed by the special prosecutor’s office.
Meta’s party condemned the arrest as a “criminal kidnapping.”
The 55-year-old politician, who served as president from 2017 to 2022, was apprehended upon returning to Tirana after a trip to Kosovo.
The prosecutor’s office stated that Meta, along with his ex-wife Monika Kryemadhi and other public figures, is under suspicion for several offenses, including “passive bribery of a senior official,” “money laundering,” and “false declaration of assets.”
Some allegations date back to his tenure as Minister of Economy from 2010 to 2011, while others are more recent.
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Photos from Albanian media showed police escorting Meta from his vehicle to a police special forces van. An AFP photographer later observed him leaving a police station to be taken to jail.
Kryemadhi, 50, a member of parliament from Meta’s Freedom Party, has not been arrested but is required to check in regularly with judicial authorities.
In her public statement, she labeled the charges against them as politically motivated.
If the allegations are substantiated, they could lead to a prison sentence of up to 12 years under Albanian law.
The prosecution indicated that investigations are ongoing regarding other individuals suspected of involvement in this alleged criminal activity, with international cooperation from the United States, Austria, Italy, San Marino, and Cyprus.
Earlier on Monday, Tedi Blushi, secretary-general of Meta’s political party, referred to the arrest as a “criminal kidnapping.” Former prime minister and current opposition leader Sali Berisha, who is under house arrest pending a corruption investigation, stated at a press conference that “the persecution of Ilir Meta is political.”
Once allied with Rama, Meta has shifted his stance, now aligning himself with Berisha and accusing Rama of running a “kleptocratic regime” that centralizes legislative, administrative, and judicial powers.
A veteran in Albanian politics, Meta has held various significant roles since the fall of communism in 1991, including deputy in 1992, Prime Minister (1999-2002), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009-2010), Minister of Economy (2010-2011), Speaker of Parliament (2013-2017), and finally, President of Albania starting in April 2017, a position largely seen as ceremonial.
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