The court drew the attention of the defendants' lawyers to the sterilization concession, who have been postponing the reading of the final arguments for almost 5 months.
The court process on the sterilization issue has remained pending for 5 months, as the defendants' lawyers request successive postponements and have not yet presented their final conclusions.
In Wednesday's session, the lawyers of former Deputy Minister of Health, Klodian Rrjepaj, businessman Ilir Rrapaj and other defendants stated that although they have prepared the final talks, they are unable to present them verbally at the session, arguing that the defendants have requested to be present in person.
The presiding judge, Bib Ndreca, noted that with these justifications from the lawyers, the hearing had been postponed repeatedly. He drew the attention of the legal representatives that this was the last time such claims would be accepted.
"It's the last chance. If you don't submit to the next session, the trial will continue without the defendants' final arguments," Ndreca said.
Prosecutors Edvin Kondili and Ened Nakuçi requested the suspension of the detention periods, because according to them, the postponement of the hearings was being done because of the defendants.
The next session was postponed to December 17, at 11:30.
The prosecution requested in June the sentence of former deputy minister Klodian Rrjepaj and businessman Ilir Rrapaj to 10 years in prison each, which in the application of the summary trial is reduced to 6 years and 8 months of imprisonment for each. For the defendants Saimir Kadiu, Petref Mersini and Marsela Serjani, a sentence of 3 years and 6 months in prison was requested, and in the application of the summary trial, a measure of 2 years and 4 months. For Arben Gjata, Genc Burazeri and Naile Ajazi, a sentence of 2 years was requested, which in the application of the summary trial remains 1 year and 4 months. For Mersini, Gjata, Burazeri and Ajazi, a suspension of the execution of the sentence and their placement on probation were requested.
The prosecution's investigations revealed violations of the law in the procedures for granting one of the most costly concessions in the health sector, with the sole purpose of declaring the companies of Ilir Rrapaj and the Italian citizen, Umbro Staccini, the winners.
The list of violations includes a feasibility study with false data in violation of the law; drafting criteria in such a way that they were adapted to the real situation of the companies previously selected, as well as the inaction of former Minister Ilir Beqaj to resolve the conflict of interest between Rrjepaj as chairman of the concession commission and Rrapaj as its beneficiary. Legal violations were also found during the negotiation of the concession contract, which is assessed to have been clearly in favor of the company declared the winner, to the detriment of the interests of the state.
Ilir Beqaj is being tried separately under ordinary trial procedure. He has repeatedly requested to familiarize himself with the acts of the case files and then to listen to the audio recordings of the preliminary hearing and the trial against the eight other defendants. As a result, the trial against him has still remained at the stage where the parties must submit preliminary inquiries, if any. /BIRN/
