Businessman testifies in Parliament’s investigation of sterilization and checkup concessions
On Monday businessman Ilir Rrapaj, one of the shareholders of “Sani Servis,” testified before the parliamentary investigative committee examining two healthcare concessions approved by the Socialist government: sterilization services and health checkups. Rrapaj, whose company won the €100 million sterilization concession in 2015 for a 10-year term, appeared before the committee in handcuffs. He has been in prison since August 2023, charged with fraud. The case has also led to the arrest of a former Deputy Minister of Health, who faces accusations of document forgery and abuse of office. A former Minister of Health is also investigated for the alleged affair but remains under judicial obligation in this case while under arrest on separate charges.
Why is this important: The sterilization concession was one of the landmark events in the government’s efforts to reform the health system and provide quality service. It requires the contractor, an Italian company co-owned by Rrapaj – who holds a 40% stake – to ensure that all public hospitals and surgical clinics receive proper sterilization of medical equipment. Before this agreement, public hospitals faced alarmingly high rates of post-operative infections due to substandard sterilization. While many medical professionals have praised the improvements since the concession’s implementation, the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) maintains that there were instances of abuse and corruption in the awarding of the contract and began investigating.
Context: SPAK accuses the former Deputy Minister of having prior ties to Rrapaj, which compromised the integrity of the selection process. Prosecutors claim the outcome was pre-determined, with the Deputy Minister, who chaired the evaluation committee at the Ministry of Health, ensuring that Rrapaj’s company won the bid. However, in his testimony, Rapaj denied any prior relationship with the former Minister of Health and the former Deputy Minister. He remarked that he only became acquainted with the latter after sharing the same prison cell over the past year.
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