The government is finalizing the nationalization of the infamous sterilization concession, ten years after signing the contract that cost Albanian taxpayers over 114 million euros and a lawsuit against former Health Minister Ilir Beqaj and other senior officials for the criminal offenses of theft through abuse of office within the framework of a structured criminal group.
On December 30, 2025, the Council of Ministers decided to establish a joint-stock company owned by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to take over the provision of sterilization services from the concessionaire company SaniService, which has been under seizure since January 2024.
According to the decision, the joint-stock company "Operator of Integrated Sterilization Services", OSHIS sh.a. with 100% state capital will offer, for a fee, the same services that the concessionary company SaniService offered to university, regional and municipal hospitals.
OSHIS sh.a will have an initial capital of 200 million lek, which will be covered by the capital expenditure fund in the “Secondary Care Services” program of the Ministry of Health. Subsequently, OSHIS sh.a is expected to be financed by the income generated from the provision of sterilization services.
The sterilization public-private partnership contract is one of four costly contracts of the "Rama" government in the health sector, for which the investigation of the Special Prosecution Office for corruption has advanced to final conclusions in court.
Investigations conducted by SPAK revealed violations of the law in the concession award procedures with the sole purpose of declaring Ilir Rrapaj's company, which owned 40% of the shares in the consortium of winning companies, the winner.
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 predetermined companies, as well as failure to act to resolve conflicts of interest.
Legal violations were also found during the negotiation of the concession contract, which, according to the judge, were "clearly in favor of the company declared the winner, to the detriment of the interests of the state."
For the above violations, the Special Prosecution has charged former Minister of Health Ilir Beqaj, former Deputy Minister Klodian Rrjepaj, businessman Ilir Rrapaj and the six other members of the concession awarding commission; Marsela Serjani, Saimir Kadiu, Petref Mersini, Arben Gjata, Genc Burazeri and Naile Ajazi.
Former Minister Beqaj is being tried separately from the other defendants, after he refused the summary trial. /BIRN/
