The corruption trial of Albania’s former president Ilir Meta, a fierce opponent of Prime Minister Edi Rama, opened on Monday, the latest in a series of high-profile graft cases in the Balkan nation.
- +Corruption trial against Albania ex-president begins
Meta, his ex-wife, former mother-in-law and two other defendants are charged with “passive corruption, money laundering, and false declaration of assets”.
Meta, his ex-wife, former mother-in-law and two other defendants are charged with “passive corruption, money laundering, and false declaration of assets”.
The former statesman has been in detention since his arrest in October 2024, when he returned to the country from Kosovo.
He is accused of but denies graft-related crimes over a number of years, spanning back to his time as economy minister in 2010. The 57-year-old says the accusations against him are “purely political”.
As the trial began, Meta — stood in a glass box in the court — requested that the proceedings be broadcast live.
“Out of respect for the citizens to whom I have served with dedication, I publicly request that the special court guarantees the live broadcast of this entire trial,” he said.
Meta, once an ally of Rama, has held some of the highest positions in the country since the fall of communism in 1991.
Entering parliament in 1992, he served as prime minister from 1999 to 2002 and also held other key portfolios. He was elected as president, a largely ceremonial post, in 2017 and left office in 2022.
A string of corruption cases in Albania have targeted high-profile politicians from different parties.
A separate trial is underway for former prime minister Sali Berisha, while Rama’s former deputy prime minister, Belinda Balluku, also faces graft allegations.
Tackling corruption is a key condition for Albania’s bid to join the European Union.
The next hearing is due on May 11.
