Tirana Times
TIRANA, Jan. 7 – Albanian prosecutors on Friday asked for a two-year prison sentence on corruption charges for a former prime minister Ilir Meta whose resignation from another post caused a severe political crisis last year.
Meta is accused by former economy minister Dritan Prifti of trying to influence him over a state tender for a hydropower station. In January last year Prifti released a video that he said showed the incident.
Meta has denied any wrongdoing and claims the video is fabricated, but prosecutors say it is genuine.
Meta is leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration party, a center-leftist political party which is part of the governing coalition of the center-right Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha. With the four lawmakers they are capable of keeping or ‘destroying’ the coalition as the Democrats lack the absolute majority numbers at the parliament.
Meta served as prime minister from 1999 to 2002 and was deputy prime minister and foreign minister when the video was allegedly made.
His resignation in January last year after Prifti made the video public led to political tensions that culminated in an anti-government protest that left four people dead.
The opposition Socialist Party-led coalition of then-Tirana mayor Edi Rama asked Prime Minister Sali Berisha for early elections as well as his resignation. Both demands were turned down.
Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries and now a NATO member, is seeking to join the European Union, but the 27-nation bloc has said the Balkan country of 3 million people has not yet done enough to root out corruption.
Prosecutor Bujar Sheshi also asked the Albanian Supreme Court to fine Meta 1 million lek and have him pay for the cost of the proceedings.
Meta’s attorneys also presented their defense on Friday saying that the video was fabricated and that it cannot be used as the only proof to jail Meta. After the court proceedings they were confident that the judges would not jail Meta.
“We shall respect any verdict of the Supreme Court,” said Meta’s attorney Spartak Braho.Due to his senior position, Meta was tried directly by the Supreme Court, bypassing the first instance and appeal courts.
The next day, while on a meeting in northern Shkodra, Meta considered the prosecutor’s request for his imprisonment on corruption charges as political and added he would take his case to the European justice institutions if not satisfied. He harshly denounced prosecutors as being Mafia-oriented and ‘caught up’ in crime.
Meta also made other moves in a show of confidence. He has also said that he will run again for the party post.
If sentenced, then he is officially also not allowed to hold any public posts for the time.Some opposition lawmakers were not satisfied with the prosecutors’ request of only a two-year imprisonment, wondering how could a person accused of 700,000 euros-worth of corruption be sentenced that little while street thieves get much more.
There has been no reaction from the governing Democrats and Berisha. He has generally kept silence on the issue in the last year. There are many reasons for that.
If Meta is sentenced then Berisha also morally holds responsibility as he may be criticized for allowing one of his cabinet ministers get involved in such a corruption.
The court announced that the verdict will be given on Monday, Jan. 16.
