For the first time since the Special Structure began operating, SPAK prosecutors will have in front of them in the courtroom a former minister accused of being part of a structured criminal group. He is Ilir Beqaj, the former Minister of Health, whose criminal file for the “Sterilization” case was decided to be transferred for trial to the Special Court. With the acceptance of SPAK’s request for trial of the case, Beqaj will sit in the defendant’s dock on charges of “theft by abuse of office” and “structured criminal group,” reports A2 CNN.
SPAK will also seek to convince the court of the same charges against Beqaj's former deputy at Health, Klodian Rrjepaj, and businessman Ilir Rrapaj, one of the beneficiaries of the 100 million euro Sterilization concession contract.
The other six defendants in the case will be tried for the criminal offenses of "abuse of office" and "falsification of documents", reports A2 CNN.
During the preliminary hearing, Beqaj also withdrew his request for a summary trial, which means that all of SPAK's evidence against him will be subject to judicial debate one after the other, and also, in the event of guilt, he will not benefit from a reduction in sentence.
The preliminary hearing against Beqaj and his co-defendants lasted almost 10 months, and the process took a sharp turn against him at the end of December, when SPAK accepted the court's suggestion to reclassify the criminal offense of "abuse of office" against Beqaj, Rrjepaj, and Rrapaj.
Before the announcement of the decision, Ilir Beqaj did not spare accusations against the preliminary judge Flojera Davidhi, claiming that she had damaged the process and was politically influenced, A2 CNN reports.
"You have been influenced in this process and your decision-making proves this. The influence is clearly political, conformist, personal and social. Your decision-making has been applauded by both Mr. Sali Berisha and Ms. Albana Vokshi, because you have supported their political accusations. What does it matter whether I stole or not? In fact, it is important that the DP now has the mouth to claim that I am a thief, because until now, even abuse of office could not stand on its own feet."
The former minister further said that the process against him neither undoes nor tarnishes his political contribution.
"... that even if you accuse or punish me with death or life imprisonment, you will not be able to undo my 33-year contribution to the public life of the country, nor tarnish my name or the surname of my family. But you will also not be able to tarnish or criminalize either the first government of Edi Rama or the Socialist Party."
According to SPAK, the sterilization concession was concluded in violation of the law, after the Concession Award Commission presented false data, falsely overestimated costs, and favored the winning company, facts that Beqaj and Rrjepaj were also aware of. (A2 Televizion)
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