The leader of the Democratic Party Sali Berisha slammed the release of former Health Minister Ilir Beqaj as proof that Prime Minister Edi Rama controls the judiciary, claiming that even the charges ignore the true corruption behind the sterilization concession. /p.s./

The court announced the ruling in today’s session, following the request of former minister Beqaj to change the measure of prison arrest to a milder measure.

Beqaj is accused of theft by abuse of office in collaboration and criminal group.

Beqaj was arrested by order of SPAK on July 4, 2024 charged with funds file of the State Agency of Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination (SASPAC). According to SPAK, at least eight services procured within the framework of the events: “On the organization of the FESTA Conference (The Future of Sustainable Environmental Tourism in Albania), as well as the “Energy Conference”, organized in 2023, were not subject to a regular procurement procedure, but the winner was agreed upon and determined long before the procurement procedure was carried out, which was fictitiously carried out later, for documentation and payment purposes.

Beqaj took up the post of head of the Agency in November 2022 and resigned in November last year, when the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office launched investigations against him for the sterilization concession.

Meanwhile, the former minister of health is a defendant in the sterilization concession file, while on March 18, 2024, he was also charged with abuse of office committed in collaboration. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

The money have been sequestrated from the bank accounts of Ilir Beqaj, Ermal Kurtulaj, Bjona Zijaj, Bledar Lekë, Gazmend Haxhija and Elton Marini.

“The Special Prosecutor’s Office had requested from the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime the sequestration of wealth of the persons under investigation”, is read in the SPAK press release.

The Special Court ruled sequestration of several bank accounts, specifically on: ALL 14,323,125; 15,542 euros; 42 318 USD.

Also, there were sequestrated over 19.4% of the quotas of the trading company “Albanian Food and Hospitality Services”.

There were also sequestrated three registered vehicles owned by persons under investigation E.K and E.M.

The investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation, together with the officers of the General Directorate of the State Police and the Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets have taken the necessary actions for the execution of these decisions. /m.m/r.e/a.f/p.s./

Through a press release for the media, SPAK said that the former minister Beqaj is accused of the criminal offense of “abuse of duty”, while he will be in the dock together with his former deputy in the ministry Klodian Rrjepaj.

“The Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana has completed the preliminary investigations and submitted to the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, the request for trial of the defendants: 1. Ilir Beqaj, accused of committing the criminal offense of “Abuse of duty”, committed in cooperation. 2. Klodian Rjepaj, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Fraud”, committed in collaboration, with serious consequences, “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration, “Abuse of duty”. 3. Ilir Rrapaj, accused of committing the criminal offense of “Fraud”, committed in cooperation, with serious consequences. 4. Marsela Serjani, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration. 5. Saimir Kadiu, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration. 6. Petref Mersini, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration. 7. Arben Gjata, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration. 8. Genc Burazeri, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration. 9. Naile Ajazi, accused of committing the criminal offenses of “Forgery of documents”, committed in collaboration and “Abuse of duty”, committed in collaboration”, is read in SPAK press release.

According to the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office, “After carrying out an extremely large number of investigative actions, the analysis of which proves that the former deputy minister of health Klodian Rjepaj, in the capacity of the Chairman of the Concession Granting Commission, is the person who has performed all the actions of financial calculations. He has changed these financial data several times, until reaching those approved by the Concession Commission”, is read in SPAK press release.

SPAK concluded its press release by emphasizing that investigations continue within the framework of separate criminal proceedings no. 13/1, of 2020, regarding suspicions of actions in violation of the law by persons subject to the investigation of this prosecution during the execution phase of the concession contract etc./p.s./

Beqaj made the statement after an 8-hour session at the Special Prosecution against Organized Crime and Corruption.

Beqaj considered investigation over the two and a half year period as indispensable now that eight years have passed since the contract has been implemented. According to him, it will give the opportunity to see what the citizens and the state budget have benefited from that contract.

The former health minister is under investigation on the sterilization concession agreement. And the Court against Organized Crime and Corruption has imposed on him the security of measure of compulsory appearance in SPAK./k.s/p.s./

Beqaj presented the request of the government of Albania for admission to the OECD Development Center, the country profile, the latest social and economic developments, progress in dealing with three consecutive crises and progress on the path to membership in the European Union.

The representatives of different countries such as: Japan, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Brazil, Peru, Morocco and Paraguay, asked different questions related to issues of demography, sustainable tourism, local finance, skills, education, gender equality, climate change, etc.

The representative of the European Union held a positive stance during the meeting of the Board regarding the request of the Albanian government.

By the end of March 2023, the request of the Albanian government is expected to be positively formalized at a meeting of the Executive Board of the OECD.

In June 2022, Prime Minister Edi Rama officially submitted the request on behalf of the government of the Republic of Albania, for admission to the OECD Development Center.

The governing board of this Center analyzed the request and in November 2022 made the decision to go ahead with the evaluation procedures of the request of the Albanian government./gj.m/p.s./