Press statement by the Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj on the weekly results of the Anti-Corruption Task Force:
I stand before you today to announce the weekly report on the actions and performance results of the anti-corruption fight structures in the public administration.
The Inter-Institutional Anti-Corruption Task Force have continued its direct inspection actions in the public administration institutions and offices tasked with delivering services to citizens.
The team of Anti-Corruption Task Force inspectors have carried out an administrative and legal inspection action at the National Centre of Quality, Safety and Accreditation of Health Institutions in Tirana, on the implementation of the law provisions on the accreditation procedures of the health institutions and on implementation of specific quality and safety standards that should be safeguarded by these institutions.
The inspection process has found out the following violations;
Irregularities and deficiencies in recording and evidencing the legal documentation in contravention of the legal provisions on the accreditation procedures of health institutions;
During this period, the Institution has made minimum efforts to encourage and raise awareness of health institutions to initiate and finalize the legal accreditation procedure or meet/ uphold health standards as approved by the Ministry of Health on provision health care services to citizens;
The Institution has failed to conduct regular accreditation oversight visits, periodically every one year after accreditation in compliance with the compulsory legal provision, the purpose of which is to assess the efforts to meet accreditation standards, violating the existing legislation.
At the conclusion of the inspection action, the Anti-Corruption Task Force has recommended 9 disciplinary actions, warning notice of termination of employment for:
– the Director General of the Institution,
– head of sector, and
– 7 specialist employees at the Sector of Accreditation and the Sector of Quality, Safety, Risk Management and Patient Rights.
Administrative measures were also recommended for improving the institution’s performance and compliance with legal obligations.
Likewise, regular inspections are being carried out by the Internal Control Service in the Prison System.
During this week, procedural materials against six employees at the Institution for the Execution of Criminal Decisions (IECD) in Vlora, including the Institution’s Director, have been referred to the Prosecutor’s Office of Vlora Judicial District on charges ranging from abuse of office to falsification of public documents.
The Anti-Corruption structures in the State Police have uncovered seven cases of corruption and abuse of office offences and has charged 11 involved suspects.
The Anti-Corruption structures have finalized the investigation actions and have referred the cases to the Prosecutor’s Office on charges of passive corruptions of public officials and abuse of office.
I would like to conclude my today’s statement by expressing appreciation and encouragement to all law enforcement agencies that keep working and yielding increasingly more tangible results in the shared challenge of the fight against corruption, inviting at the same time citizens to continue and support by reporting and denouncing the corruption practices they may encounter in state institutions.
