The former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, was arrested in Tirana, during the morning of today (July 4, 2024). Along with him, two other people were also handcuffed. The reason for the arrest is related to the charge of abuse of office.
For several months, Beqaj has been under investigation by SPAK and controls have also been carried out in several businesses. The Court of Appeal placed the former minister under investigation on March 18, 2024, for suspicions related to the concession of 100 million euros for the sterilization of surgical equipment in state hospitals.
The 10-year concession would provide appropriate customized, single-use surgical tools and biological waste treatment. Also, the disinfection of the rooms where the operations were performed.
Beqaj was a deputy of the Socialist Party and was the Minister of Health in the period 2013-2017. In 2021, he was appointed head of "SASPAC" by Edi Rama. After SPAK's decision to appoint him with the security measure "obligation to appear", in connection with the accusations about the sterilization affair, Beqaj resigned from "SASPAC" and from the role of negotiator between Albania and the European Union.
