Ilir Meta, the former president who is in pretrial detention on three charges, repeated in court his claim that Charles McGonigal and Yuri Kim had influenced SPAK’s investigation into him. He described the former U.S. ambassador as a sworn enemy of Albania who served Serbia’s interests.
Meta also said that, when he was president, five embassy representatives had threatened him not to appoint Marsida Xhaferllari to the Constitutional Court, but to appoint Arta Vorpsi, the other candidate at the center of the dispute at the time.
Të lidhura
None found
Monika Kryemadhi, his former wife and a subject of the same case, backed the claim, although Meta referred to her as “the lady.” According to Kryemadhi, the threat was one-sided and was delivered through the embassies operating in Albania. She said she had informed the State Department about the message.
During the day, Kryemadhi completed the submissions she had begun in July and presented in person. She challenged the evidence concerning lobbying with G.S.I.S. and requested a financial examination of the documents.
Meta, for his part, asked for the ruling finding Kastriot Ismailaj guilty and sentencing him to be admitted as new evidence, and for further testimony to be obtained from the Department of Justice.
Tedi Blushi said there was no criminal evidence or facts against Meta and that not a single cent of illicit money or square meter of property had been seized. He said the proceedings were political, dictated by Edi Rama, who was deliberately keeping Meta in pretrial detention and subjecting him to political persecution.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 26. SPAK will then present its objections, and a decision will be made on whether the trial will continue with the admission of documentary evidence or the calling of witnesses.
