TIRANA, August 20 – Former Minister of Health Ilir Beqja has reacted to the sterilization concession file for which the special prosecution authority, SPAK has arrested former Deputy Minister Klodian Rjepaj and businessman Ilir Rrapaj.
Despite the fact that SPAK excluded Beqja from the criminal prosecution related to the sterilization concession, the Special Court appreciated that the violations of legal and bylaw acts rise to the level of criminal responsibility for the former Minister of Health.
Judge Erion Bani, who issued the arrest warrant, also assessed that the investigations were incomplete and the criminal prosecution should be extended to the former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqja, and the Minister of Finance, Shkëlqim Cani.
In the post on “Facebook” on Sunday, Beqja said that even though the sterilization center erected at QSUT was brand new, it had not been put to work for a single day and that it was out of warranty.
As for the trips with the businessman Rrapaj and others, the former minister declared that traveling Tirana – Rome or Rome – Tirana as well as Tirana – Vienna or Vienna – Tirana is the most normal thing and just because you are on that flight with the other ones it is not an indication of guilt.
“During my time as a minister, I met and got to know different entrepreneurs, foreign and Albanian, and for work needs I signed contracts with them,” said Beqja.
According to him, it is not a question of a concession and it is not a right or public good that was given to a private person to use it to do business for his own purposes.
The former minister did not say a word on what the Special Court said that violations of legal and by-laws rise to the level of criminal responsibility for the former Minister of Health and the demand of the judge to extend the investigation of the case including former health minister Beqja. /argumentum.al
