Meta’s trial remains focus of attention

TIRANA, Nov. 15 – The trial of former deputy premier, foreign minister, minister of economy and also leader of the small leftist governing coalition partner Socialist Movement for Integration (or the LSI), Ilir Meta continues to capture the attention of the local media.
After the three experts stated their negative conclusion on the validity of the video offered as the main evidence of Meta’s corruption, there came many reactions, including those of the accusing Prifti, Meta’s legal advisers, and also the European Union.
Many of them opposed the expertise considering the experts as not being the proper persons to do such a thing and also the fact that the Court had turned down the expertise previously provided by US and British experts on the same issue, who said the tape was authentic.
On Monday the Supreme Court upheld the testimony of three local expert witnesses despite protests from prosecutors.
The three local experts said it was very probable that the video could be manipulated, thus putting its validity into question.
Prosecutors contested the qualifications of the three local experts and called for their testimonies to be thrown out. But the judges’ panel denied the request.
In May, Prosecutor General Ina Rama filed charges against Meta after a four-month investigation.
Meta has repeatedly denied wrong-doing and has called the trial against him politically motivated.
LSI is the junior partner in the government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha with the ministries of economy, foreign affairs and health, though it has only four lawmakers in the parliament, enough to keep alive the premier’s majority.