August 17 (SeeNews) - Albania’s anti-corruption authorities, SPAK, arrested eight people, including seven health ministry officials, on charges of violations related to a tender for a medical services contract for public hospitals, SPAK said on Thursday.
The tender was conducted in a manner that violated the terms of fair competition due to document forgery by health ministry officials, SPAK said in a press release on its website.
Local media reported that Klodian Rjepaj, a former deputy health minister, and businessman Ilir Rrapaj are among the people arrested.
According to the country's business register, Rrapaj is a shareholder in medical services provider SaniService. In 2015, SaniService signed a concession agreement with the government for the provision of surgical instruments and sterile medical materials for operating rooms, as well as the treatment of biological waste and disinfection, the health ministry said at the time.