"I was surprised by the kiss from afar"/ Beqaj mocks Endrit Shabani and his election as People's Advocate

2025-12-23 14:32:00, Aktualitet CNA

"I was surprised by the kiss from afar"/ Beqaj mocks Endrit Shabani

The court hearing for former Minister of Health Ilir Beqaj has been postponed. The reason is the former minister's request to listen to audio recordings of the hearings and create conditions to listen to them in the detention facilities.

In his statement, Beqaj emphasizes that he is seeking privileges, but respect for the right to an effective defense. He requested permission to use a computer and printer, without communication equipment, to prepare his legal defense.

"If the law does not prohibit it, no one has the right to prohibit it by 'custom', by 'oral order' or by administrative fears," said Beqaj.

The former minister also criticized the role of the complainant in the case, Endri Shabani, who, according to him, paradoxically holds the position of Ombudsman today. Beqaj emphasized that the criminal complaint was filed on December 23, 2019 and that Shabani today appears as a witness for the prosecution, despite the fact that the case, according to him, had been investigated and dismissed previously without new evidence.

"The one who should be the voice of the citizen in the face of the government is on the receiving end of accusations," declared Beqaj, describing the situation as an institutional paradox and adding that this does not represent public interest, but personal interest.

In his statement, Beqaj also ironized the manner in which the Ombudsman was elected in the Assembly, mentioning the reaction of the deputies during the vote.

"What surprised me wasn't the vote. It was the kiss. The hand kiss from a distance. Synchronized applause, as if some important law had been passed."

The next session will be held on January 15, 2026./ CNA