The court hearing at the Special Court against former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, brought new developments today, with the change of the judging panel.
The court announced the removal of Judge Ardit Mustafaraj from the case, replacing the panel with a new trio consisting of Bib Ndreca (Presiding Judge), Elsa Ulliri (Judge), Flora Hajredinaj (Judge).
During the hearing, Ilir Beqaj emphasized that there has been a "misunderstanding and misperception" in public opinion for years regarding the issue: "This is not the issue of sterilization nor the concession of sterilization. It is the sterilization of surgical instruments. The court should refer to it in this way," said Beqaj, suggesting that the term "Sterilization" is used incorrectly and in a distorted way in public.
In response to this statement, the court clarified that it did not refer to the file with such a title: "Until these comments, we have not referred to it as 'sterilization', nor have we given it any title," said the presiding judge.
Beqaj expressed his concern about the way the issue has been presented to the public: “Why is it said Ilir Beqaj and others? I am the last in line. There are several other people here. It is a prayer, not a request,” he said.
“These people seem to be here because of me. Meanwhile, sterilization is only one aspect.”
The former minister also addressed a direct criticism towards a certain lawyer who, according to him, did not actively participate in the process: "This lawyer who left asked for two weeks to familiarize himself with the file, but he never came to IVEP Durrës to meet me. I wanted to be informed by the court when this gentleman came here and read the file," said Beqaj.