The Vlora Court in Albania has upheld the decision for pre-trial detention of Rei Meta, a 33-year-old individual involved in the fatal incident that resulted in the death of Armando Meshau, a 55-year-old man, following a verbal altercation. Meta is facing charges of “involuntary manslaughter”.

The incident unfolded shortly after midday at an office providing internet and office services in Vlora city. The two individuals were already acquainted. According to Meta’s statement given to the police, they had entered into a business agreement in 2020. The agreement stipulated that Meta would be given a 60-square-meter apartment in exchange for helping locate a plot of land in the Radhime area, where Meshau later carried out a construction project. Meta also alleged that the contract included a payment of 7,000 euros, which he claimed he had given to Meshau. However, Meta contended that Meshau had not met the contractual obligations, specifically failing to transfer the apartment as agreed. Furthermore, Meta asserted that Meshau had been unresponsive to his calls for the past 7-8 months.

This matter escalated during a chance encounter between the two in Vlora. The verbal disagreement escalated into physical violence. Surveillance footage from the internet office revealed that Meshau was the first to strike, and in immediate response, Meta swiftly delivered a series of punches to the left side of Meshau’s face. Within moments, Meshau collapsed onto a chair and lost his life.

This case took on an unusual aspect when it emerged that Rei Meta is the son of Nurihan Seiti, a member of the High Prosecutorial Council (KLP) elected in 2018 from the legal profession. The opposition promptly called for her resignation, and media reports suggested that aside from his role at the Customs Directorate, Meta had allegedly been involved in property transactions using his mother’s name. Nurihan Seiti’s term as a KLP member concludes at the end of this year, and she has refrained from making any public comments on the incident.