TIRANA: Former president of Albania Ilir Meta, a fierce opponent of Prime Minister Edi Rama, was arrested in Tirana Monday, said his political party.
The Freedom Party in a statement said agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, arrested Meta in Tirana adding that it had not received an official explanation.
Secretary general of the party, Tedi Blushi in the statement called it a “criminal kidnapping”.
Meta, 55, was president of Albania from 2017 to 2022. Albanian media published Images showing police officers escorting him out of his car and into a police special forces van.
Meta was about to address a press conference on Monday and was on his way to the party’s headquarters when he was arrested.
He and his wife have been under probe for two years over accusations of concealing income.
Former prime minister and president Sali Berisha, the incumbent leader of the opposition Democratic Party, who is himself under house arrest pending a corruption investigation, told a press conference that Ilir Meta’s persecution is political.
Meta is a strong opponent of Rama, whom he accuses of leading a “kleptocratic regime”.
Meta has held the top positions in post-communist Albania, including prime minister (1999–2002), speaker of parliament (2013–2017), and foreign minister (2010–2011).
