Former Health Minister Ilir Beqaj appeared at the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) in Tirana, where he was informed of the accusation of “abuse of duty”, in collaboration, as part of the investigative file on the “Sterilization” concession.

Former Minister Beqaj and eight other defendants are charged by SPAK, while investigations were conducted by prosecutors Edvin Kondili and Ened Nakuçi. SPAK has raised charges against these individuals related to the process for the “Sterilization” concession, valued at €100 million over a 10-year period, awarded to businessman Ilir Rrapaj.

After the session at SPAK, Beqaj expressed that the Prosecution has failed to investigate the two main elements of a sterilization investigation for 50 months.

“As has been announced for several days, where I was informed of the conclusion of the investigations and indictment for the criminal offense of ‘abuse of duty’ in collaboration. Firstly, I would say that SPAK should have assessed my work with the fulfillment of constitutional and legal obligations of healthcare, because ensuring equal healthcare for all Albanians from north to south has been my duty and mission,” said Beqaj.

“Using state funds efficiently is a key duty, but for a health minister, the main duty is to reduce expenses from citizens’ pockets for healthcare,” Beqaj said.

“For 50 months, the Prosecution failed to investigate two key elements of a sterilization process, reducing the length of hospital stay for patients and reducing the use of hospital antibiotics. If they had made this assessment, which we will seek to be done, converting these savings into money would indeed yield a process beneficial to public finances and citizens’ wallets. Not engaging in such a process, with nosocomial infections, with antimicrobial resistance, means not understanding what you have investigated. In 50 months, the Prosecution did not undertake to investigate why from April 2010 until September 2013, the purchased sterilization unit was kept in a bag while the Public Health Institute was requesting the closure of the surgical rooms,” Beqaj said.

“I had the duty to put it into operation, I put it into operation and fortunately, from the beginning of the contract implementation, 445,000 Albanians have been operated in very safe conditions. The Prosecution for 50 months was unable to make two key assessments for the Public-Private Partnership, the value of the money, and how the risk-sharing between private and public materialized after eight years of concrete implementation,” Beqaj said.

“I will face my truth in court, where the truth of the benefits that Albanians have gained from this sterilization process will emerge,” Beqaj concluded.

The former minister has been investigated and charged under the “obligation to appear” security measure. For months, he has appeared at SPAK every Friday.

Accused and charges raised for the “Sterilization” concession:

• Ilir Beqaj “Abuse of duty”
• Ilir Rrapaj “Fraud”
• Klodjan Rrjepaj “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Saimir Kadiu “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Marsela Serjana “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Arben Gjata “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Naile Ajazi “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Genc Byrazeri “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”
• Petri Mersini “Forgery of documents” and “Abuse of duty”