TIRANA, Albania — A court in Albania determined on Wednesday that Ilir Meta, the former president, will remain in custody while he faces serious allegations, including corruption, money laundering, and the concealment of personal income and assets.

Although formal criminal charges have yet to be filed, a judge from the Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime, responsible for handling cases involving high-ranking political figures, decided to detain Meta as inquiries continue concerning allegations that could lead to a sentence of up to 12 years.

Having served as president from 2017 to 2022, Meta has been an outspoken adversary of the current Prime Minister Edi Rama and has labeled the charges against him as a politically motivated effort to undermine an opposition figure.

His party, the Freedom Party, is part of a coalition opposing Rama’s ruling Socialist Party, which Meta has accused of operating a “kleptocratic regime” that centralizes legislative, administrative, and judicial powers under Rama.

Meta expressed his beliefs in his innocence through a Facebook post after an incident on Monday where he was forcibly removed from his vehicle by masked police officers in Tirana, the nation’s capital. The police stated that he had resisted their command to exit the vehicle.

The party’s secretary-general, Tedi Blushi, described the event as “a criminal kidnapping,” while Meta’s attorney, Genc Gjokutaj, also claimed that the accusations against Meta are politically charged.

Meta’s ex-wife, Monika Kryemadhi, a member of parliament and previous leader of the Freedom Party, faces similar allegations and has been instructed to report to the police monthly. Additionally, two other individuals are under investigation.

Prosecutors accuse Meta of misusing his official position while serving as the minister of economy, trade, and energy to leverage influence over businesses for personal financial gain. They further claim that prior to his presidency in 2017, Meta did not disclose roughly $460,000 (around 423,000 euros) used for lobbying in the United States.

Albania, which aspires to join the European Union, has struggled with significant corruption issues since the end of communism, adversely affecting its democratic, economic, and social progress.

Newly formed judicial bodies, established with backing from the EU and the United States, have initiated multiple investigations into former high-ranking officials alleged to be involved in corrupt practices.