October 21, 2024 – 10:23 pm
The left-wing Freedom Party announced on Monday that former head of state Ilir Meta was arrested in Albania on Monday on charges of money laundering. Local media reported that the 55-year-old politician was arrested in Tirana by National Bureau of Investigation police. Local television channels showed Meta, who was preparing to hold a press conference after his visit to Kosovo, being led from his car by masked investigators. Teddy Belushi, the party's secretary-general, described the politician's production as a “criminal kidnapping,” according to MTI.
Meta was President of Albania from 2017 to 2022. A few years ago, he was under investigation in the United States on charges of illegal lobbying. He and his wife were also tried for concealing personal property and income. He is one of the most vocal critics of the government of Prime Minister Mita Edi Rama, and accuses the regime of corruption and that all legislative, administrative and judicial powers are concentrated in Rama's hands. Meta previously held the highest positions in Albania: former Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Member of Parliament.
