The trial on the merits for former president Ilir Meta and former MP Monika Kryemadhi is being held today in Tirana.
During developments at the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime, according to reports, Kryemadhi’s lawyer was initially not allowed to enter the courtroom after refusing a bag check by security staff.
Të lidhura
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Meanwhile, Ilir Meta’s lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, has challenged the accusations, stating that they are not based on evidence and that the CEZ-DIA case, in his view, has no legal basis.
He also raised claims of procedural violations and the lack of a financial analysis in the case file.
Lawyer Cakrani: “As for what happened with CEZ/DIA, this case originated in 2017 with a complaint filed by Romeo Karaj.
According to him, the complaint was submitted immediately after the proceedings against Kastriot Ismailaj ended, when he was definitively convicted and the Arbitration process was concluded.
Karaj was part of these proceedings. Initially, the complaint was against Berisha and the entire ‘Berisha’ government, and later it shifted to Meta.
Political opponents, he said, find people like Karaj and Vojsava Ismailaj, who because of their family and mental problems give interviews outside Albania, and in this case those were taken into consideration.
Regarding CEZ/DIA, he said it concerns a state concession, while DIA is an American company that operates all over the world and has Rebekën in its management. According to him, it did not need anyone’s help, neither Berisha’s nor Meta’s, because Dritan Prifti was enough for it.
Cakrani stated that CEZ/DIA has been used to target Meta and that the prosecution devoted 15 pages to what he called the case of the century.
He said that Ambassador Tepshi is mentioned in the file, but there is no data proving that he was simultaneously an ambassador and a trade adviser.
According to him, facts that are not found in the file or in official documents cannot be cited. He added that, even if Meta may have traveled on a plane with Ismailaj, on December 2 he returned urgently because of the floods in Shkodra.
He further said that at that time there was only one ‘VIP’ counter, through which politicians or businessmen passed, and that the fact they entered on the same day does not criminalize Meta.
Cakrani also stated that opposition newspapers, as well as paid individuals or media outlets, were writing against Mr. Meta as far away as Vienna, but this, according to him, cannot be turned into an accusation.
He asked why SPAK had not carried out a financial analysis of Meta to see what had happened in his life. According to him, the CEZ/DIA accusation does not stand, because in 2009 Meta was not an official, but an opposition MP.
Likewise, he said that Dritan Prifti’s statements were taken in 2015, before the proceedings were registered. According to him, they were given before the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office and their use as evidence requires separate examination. He added that Prifti stated things that have no connection to Meta.
He went on to say that Prifti at that time was in open conflict with Meta over the video and could not give statements. According to him, Prifti and Doshi were aiming for Meta’s political elimination.
He also opposed the use of Josef Hegel’s testimony at the Vienna Tribunal, saying that it cannot serve as evidence for another trial.
Finally, Cakrani stressed that the Arbitration proceedings are confidential in nature and that using them without the permission of the Arbitration Court constitutes a violation of international law.”
INVESTIGATIONS
Ilir Meta is accused of three criminal offenses, which were communicated to him on August 4, 2025, in connection with the CEZ/DIA file and lobbying in the United States. The charges against him are concealment of assets, money laundering, and corruption.
He has been in pretrial detention since October 2024, while Monika Kryemadhi is under the measure of mandatory appearance.
The “Meta” file also includes investigations involving Kryemadhi’s mother, Pirro Xhixho, and Ema Çoku.
The defendants face several criminal charges, including passive corruption, money laundering, and failure to declare assets.
