Thursday, January 13, 2011

Albanian ex-minister accuses successor of bribery

By The Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's former economy minister has told prosecutors that the deputy prime minister has tried to influence a tender in return for a kickback.

Dritan Prifti says the footage showing the country's deputy prime minister, Ilir Meta, asking him to influence the tender, which was aired by a private TV channel Tuesday, was genuine.

He said Thursday he handed the original video to prosecutors.

Meta, who was foreign minister at the time of the tender for building a power station, denies wrongdoing and says the footage was fabricated by the country's main opposition party.

The opposition has called for Meta's resignation. Scores of people demonstrated in Tirana Thursday to back the demand.

Meta, who is also the economy minister, heads a small leftist party that is a key partner of the ruling center-right Democrats.

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