Albanian courts move forward in high‑profile corruption probes

Albania’s Special Court has accepted the anti‑corruption prosecutor’s request to bring to trial businessman Astrit Vladi and former police officer Eriona Daupaj in the so‑called “Toyota Yaris” case. Both are accused of illegal influence over public officials and of corruption related to the procurement of vehicles, alongside allegations of secret data disclosure and illegal influence on judges.

The court also resumed the criminal proceedings against former president Ilir Meta. His lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, argued that the charges rely on “suppositions” and asked that prime minister Edi Rama, parliament speaker Gramoz Ruçi and other officials be called as witnesses, citing an interview in which the former US ambassador described Meta as a “partner of the United States.”