Meta’s trial postponed

TIRANA, June 21 – Former Albanian deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta has called the charges of corruption against him a political tool trying to damage his political party, the Socialist Movement for Integration which is in the governing coalition.
The trial which was scheduled for Monday was postponed for later this month after his lawyers asked the supreme court to consider invalid the testimony and proof against him taken from the prosecutors while Meta was still with the parliamentary immunity and that the investigation had overstepped limits defined by the law.
Meta resigned in January after the broadcast of a secretly filmed video in which he was reportedly discussing corrupt deals with another minister.
He is charged with corruption, which he has repeatedly denied.
Prosecutors asked the court for a week’s recess to study the defence appeal. The case is scheduled to continue on June 27.
Meta’s LSI party is the junior partner in the government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, and controls the ministries of economy, foreign affairs and health. It holds four parliamentary seats.