Ilir Meta found not guilty

In the 21st court session of the Supreme Court for the case of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Ilir Meta, the Penal College found him innocent with four votes in favor, one against and one parallel vote. Although the decision was supposed to be announced at 13:00, the Penal College entered the room two hours and a half later.

The rapporteur of the case, Ardian Dvorani, declared that Ilir Meta, charged of active corruption for high rank state officials, was found innocent for his charges for lack of evidence, with the same sentence that Meta’s defending lawyers had requested.

Mr. Dvorani then declared that he had a parallel opinion, which means that he had found Meta guilty, but with another explanatory argument.

Dvorani’s and the four other judges will give the explanatory arguments within 15 days from the announcement of the Supreme Court decision. The Penal College confirmed that the material evidence, the USB, the laptop and the camera-clock will be handed over to the General Prosecution for another case.

Meanwhile, the procedural expenses and the 3 million ALL spent by the three Albanian experts for the examination of the Meta-Prifti video file are charged to the state.

The announcement was made in the court room, in presence of observers of foreign missions from the US embassy and the OSCE, who assist the Albanian justice.

In a previous session, the General Prosecution asked the court to sentence Ilir Meta to two years in prison and with a 1 million ALL fine, together with the procedural expenses.

According to the Prosecution, the investigations have proved that Ilir Meta had consumed the penal act of active corruption and that this, according to the Prosecution, was proved not only by the video, but also by the testimony of the former Minister of Economy, Dritan Prifti, who told the Court that he had been pressured by Meta for several favors in government auctions and concessions.

Among them was the request for favoring the temporary merging of the “Vellezerit Tola SHPK” Company for the concessions of the hydropower plants, and the auction of 30.000 tons of oil for the “Halilaj Holding Group”.

Meta, EC: Answer in the progress report

The European Commission does not have the authority to comment about specific court decisions in Albania, but the “Meta-Prifti” case was closely followed by the European Commission services and different foreign embassies of the country, which are expected make their evaluations in the next progress report.

Peter Stano, Spokesperson for EU Commissioner Stefan Fule, declared that the European Commission is taking notes about this verdict, but they cannot comment about specific cases.

“The European Commission has no mandate and cannot comment about such specific cases, but I can say that the rule of law is very important. It is a very essential decision for the European road of every aspiring country that desires to join the European Union. In Albania’s case, the rule of law is one of the 12 key priorities that were set”, Stano underlines.

“We will observe the performance of Albania in each key priority, and then we will summarize the evaluation and will publish it in the next annual progress-report, later this year”, the Spokesperson declared.

The judicial reform was considered as the main priority in the European Commission’s enlargement strategy for this year. It is one of the 12 key criteria for the candidate status for Albania.

Ina Rama was expecting justice

A few hours before the Supreme Court announced the sentence for Ilir Meta, the General Prosecutor, Ina Rama, declared that she expected justice by the penal college, a desire that apparently has not been fulfilled.

The General Prosecutor made this declaration after a meeting with the Prosecutor of the Regional Directory of the Antimafia for Lecce, Cataldo Motta, and the General Franco Patroni, chief of the Guardia di Finanzia for Puglia.

Nano: Justice System doesn’t function

The analyst Mustafa Nano commented the decision of the Supreme Court, which found Ilir Meta innocent for active corruption.

Mr. Nano declared that the sentence of the Supreme Court was imposed and that unfortunately, the justice system is under the influence of politics.

“The video published by Top Channel one year ago left all of us in a distasteful position, after viewing a conversation of the Deputy Prime Minister telling the Minister of Economy that he had the President of the Supreme Court in his pocket.

Nano declared that Ilir Meta was able to convince the court for his innocence, but it will be hard for him to convince the Albanians.

Meta: Prosecution’s request, political

“The video has been accepted by the Supreme Court as a legal evidence, although the Penal College did not accept the Prosecution’s request to hear it on the court room and transcribe it”, Prosecutor Sheshi declared.

One day after the Prosecution asked 2 years to prison for Ilir Meta, the former Deputy Prime Minister reacted with a press release. He considered the Prosecution’s request as political and unfounded.

“This request wasn’t based on any proof or any witness. It was a political pretense. However, it is remarkable how the Prosecution lowered their request from the death sentence in January 2011, to 2 years in prison and 1 million ALL, because they can’t stay without placing fines. They say that they have asked 3 million EUR from someone, for avoiding him prosecution, and other things like that”, declared the SMI leader, Ilir Meta.

Prifti: Meta has bought judges

One day after Ilir Meta’s declaration, that he felt like a lion for the trial, the former Minister of Economy, Dritan Prifti, reacted by accusing Ilir Meta’s and Spartak Braho’s family as corrupted.

Prifti also called Spartak Braho as the man of corruption and unjust profits, with which he has bought the judges involved in the trial.

However, the former Minister of Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration Party underlined that justice will be brought, and this is what all Albanians expect.

Berisha meeting Meta again

Two days after the dinner at Ilir Meta’s house, the Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, has met the Socialist Movement for Integration leader for a coffee at the Rogner Europa Park Hotel.

Different to the Thursday’s dinner, this time they were joined by the Tirana Mayor, Lulzim Basha. Their meeting lasted more than one hour.

A few days ago, Berisha declared for journalists that he used to meet Meta once in three or four days, but this time he has waited less than 48 hours to meet him again.

This meeting is held before the Supreme Court of Tirana announces the sentence for Ilir Meta this Monday, who is charged for active corruption after Dritan Prifti, former Minister of Economy, published a video scandal on Top Channel.

Top Channel