TIRANA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ilir Meta, leader of the Albanian Freedom Party and former President of Albania, was arrested on Monday on charges of corruption, money laundering, and other offenses.
The arrest order was issued by the Special Prosecutor against Corruption (SPAK), Albania's anti-corruption agency.
According to local media, Meta was detained by police officers while returning from Kosovo and en route to a scheduled press conference.
Tedi Blushi, the Freedom Party's general secretary, condemned the arrest, describing it as a "criminal kidnapping" and a "terrorist act," claiming no formal warrant had been issued for Meta's arrest.
Meta served as Albania's President from 2017 to 2022. Enditem.