Albania’s former president, Ilir Meta, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Edi Rama, was arrested on Monday in Tirana on charges of corruption and money laundering, the country’s special prosecutor’s office confirmed.
Meta’s party condemned the arrest, calling it a “criminal kidnapping.”
Meta, 55, who served as Albania’s president from 2017 to 2022 and is a center-left politician, was arrested upon returning to Tirana after a visit to Kosovo. Prosecutors have accused Meta, along with his ex-wife Monika Kryemadhi and other public figures, of several criminal offenses, including “passive bribery of a senior official,” “money laundering,” and “false declaration of assets.”
Some of the allegations date back to his tenure as Minister of Economy between 2010 and 2011, while others are more recent.
Albanian media released images earlier showing police officers escorting Meta from his car into a police special forces van. An AFP photographer also captured Meta being taken from a police station in the afternoon to be transferred to jail.
Although Monika Kryemadhi, 50, an MP and member of Meta’s Freedom Party, has not been arrested, she will be required to regularly appear before the judicial police. She has publicly dismissed the accusations against her and Meta as politically motivated.
If convicted, the charges under the Albanian penal code could result in a prison sentence of up to 12 years. The prosecution confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with international cooperation from the United States, Austria, Italy, San Marino, and Cyprus.
Earlier in the day, Tedi Blushi, the secretary-general of Meta’s political party, described the arrest as a “criminal kidnapping.” Former Prime Minister and President Sali Berisha, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, who is also under house arrest for a separate corruption investigation, labeled Meta’s arrest as “political persecution” during a press conference.
Once an ally of Rama, Meta has since aligned with Berisha and now accuses the Prime Minister of leading a “kleptocratic regime” and consolidating all powers within his control.
Meta is a seasoned figure in Albanian politics, having held prominent positions since the fall of communism in 1991. Elected as a deputy in 1992, he has served as Prime Minister (1999-2002), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009-2010), Minister of Economy (2010-2011), Speaker of Parliament (2013-2017), and President of Albania from 2017 to 2022.