On 4 July 2024, the Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK) arrested Ilir Beqaj, a former minister of health and head of the State Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination (SASPAC). Beqaj is accused of orchestrating fictitious procurement procedures between 2022 and 2023 in collaboration with Ermal Kurtulaj, Albania's coordinator for the EUSAIR programme. Beqaj had previously served as a member of parliament for the ruling Socialist Party and as minister of health from 2013 to 2017. From 2021 to 2023 he led SASPAC, the agency responsible for overseeing the EU funds allocated to Albania.

According to SPAK, at least eight services were procured during the Future of Sustainable Environmental Tourism in Albania (FESTA) conference and the 2023 energy conference. These services were allegedly not subjected to regular procurement processes; instead, it is suspected that the winner was pre-determined well before the formal procurement was conducted. Consequently, the procurement procedures were allegedly later carried out for documentation and payment purposes.

For instance, the procured service for the organisation of the conference on 3 to 4 April 2023 for the Future of Sustainable Environmental Tourism in Albania FESTA Technical Assistance IPA CBC, Adrion Project, with a value of €125,000 was the same as the one service procured by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (with a contract value of ALL38,509,550 or €390,536) for the same event, called Festa. In both cases, it was contracted to the same company, Landways International, owned by Gazmend Haxhia.

The funds obtained through these procedures were allegedly funnelled to his own private business, Gzona Restaurant via fake invoices from other private companies. These companies, owned by Gazmend Haxhia, Alfred Nikolla, Elton Marini and Bledar Leka (natural person) were contracted for event organisation by SASPAC. Afterwards, they were alleged to have provided an irregular benefit in the form of purchasing services from Gzona. Although Beqaj’s wife was listed as a 15% shareholder in the restaurant until 2020 – when she transferred her shares to another partner – it is alleged that Beqaj remained the actual partner and continued to control the business while leading SASPAC.

Ilir Beqaj is suspected of having invested at least €21,411 in 2019 in this company, in the form of equipment (assets) purchases and €34,783 in expenses, such as rent and others, without declaring them as loans to the company. His financial interests in this restaurant were exercised through Ermal Kurtulaj, who managed them, having been employed at the restaurant since its establishment, but allegedly without being declared as an employee to the tax authorities. In addition, Beqaj is suspected to have concealed a movable asset, a vehicle purchased on 6 September 2019, in the name of a person under investigation, Ermal Kurtulaj.

On 30 December 2024, the special court against corruption and organized crime extended the detention period for three-months in relation to the security measure “arrest in prison” for Ilir Beqaj and Ermal Kurtulaj, approving thus the request of SPAK to extend the investigation period.

In addition to the investigation for the misuse of SASPAC funds, Beqaj faces charges of abuse of office related to a concession contract for surgical instruments. In 2021, despite ongoing investigations into his involvement in healthcare concession contracts, Beqaj was appointed head of SASPAC by prime minister Edi Rama.