Albania’s former president Meta is arrested for alleged corruption

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s left-wing Freedom Party says its leader and former Albanian president Ilir Meta has been arrested on alleged corruption charges. Local media showed Meta being arrested in the capital, Tirana, by officers with the National Investigation Bureau. The party’s secretary-general calls it “a criminal kidnapping.” There is no immediate comment from the prosecutor’s office. Meta was Albania’s previous president, serving from 2017-2022. He was being investigated for alleged illegal lobbying in the United States years ago. Corruption has been post-communist Albania’s Achilles’ heel, strongly affecting the country’s democratic, economic and social development.