Skopje, 8 April 2025 (MIA) - In a coordinated operation with the Public Prosecutor's Office for the Prosecution of Organised Crime and Corruption, two persons, including the director of a healthcare institution, have been detained on suspicion of accepting a bribe amounting to €20,000, Aleksandar Janev, Director of the Public Security Bureau, said.

The director, along with other person sought and accepted a bribe for admitting a sick and immobile person to a geriatric institution.

“We must restore the devastated system, and we will restore it to function. Sadly, while national mourning continues, some individuals are taking advantage to profit illegally. We remain committed to fighting corruption and organised crime, ensuring justice, and fostering fair and transparent institutions. We will not allow such cases to go unpunished,” Janev wrote on Facebook.

Earlier Tuesday, the Interior Ministry informed that two persons have been detained on suspicion of committing the crime of 'accepting a bribe' and 'receiving rewards for unlawful influence.'

Minister of Health and Alliance for Albanians leader Arben Taravari issued a press release Tuesday on the arrest of Muhsin Arifi, an Alliance for Albanians member who had been appointed acting director of November 13 Geriatric Hospital in Skopje, detained earlier Tuesday under charges of bribery.

Noting that Arifi had been nominated to the post by AA, Taravari urged the authorities to solve the case "quickly and efficiently."

"Anyone who has committed a crime before the law must bear responsibility, regardless of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation," the AA president wrote.

Taravari appointed Arifi acting director of Skopje's Geriatric Hospital in July. Previously, Arifi was director of the Bardovci Psychiatric Hospital.

Photo: MIA archive