Ilir Meta, Albania’s former president, was detained by police on Monday over corruption allegations. His lawyer has claimed that the arrest is politically motivated.
Meta, who is 55 years old, held the presidency from 2017 to 2022 and is now at the forefront of the opposition as the leader of the Freedom Party. He was stopped by police in black masks while returning to the capital, Tirana, from neighboring Kosovo. Video footage showed that police had to forcefully take him into custody.
Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries, has struggled with political instability and corruption since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, which has impeded its aspirations to join the European Union.
According to his lawyer, Genc Gjokutaj, Meta is facing charges of passive corruption, failing to declare his wealth, and money laundering. Meta has previously denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer stated that these long-standing allegations have resurfaced as a political maneuver ahead of the national parliamentary elections in April. The anti-corruption prosecution office, SPAK, has not commented on the charges as of yet.
Meta’s ex-wife, Monika Kryemadhi, claimed on Facebook that she is facing similar unfounded charges and has been ordered to report to the police regularly, calling the situation a “farce.” Local media reported that two others close to Meta and Kryemadhi have also been charged.
Meta, who has also held positions as prime minister and parliament speaker, is not the only opposition leader facing legal troubles. Last month, Sali Berisha, the leader of the Democratic Party, Albania’s largest opposition group, was indicted on corruption charges, and another party member, Ervin Salianji, was sentenced to a year in prison for making a “false report” about a former minister.
