A shocking corruption scandal has rocked North Macedonia, involving the director of a geriatric hospital who allegedly demanded a patient sell his apartment in exchange for hospital admission.
The Basic Criminal Court has ordered 30 days of detention for Muhsin Arifi, director of the Geriatrics Hospital, and a second suspect. According to the Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption, Arifi is under investigation for accepting bribes, while the second individual is suspected of aiding in the criminal act.
Between March 19 and April 8, 2025, Arifi is accused of repeatedly demanding substantial financial compensation from a witness acting on behalf of a chronically ill patient who required hospital care. Though the patient was initially placed on a waiting list, the situation quickly escalated.
The witness was contacted by the second suspect and invited to a late-night meeting with Arifi at a restaurant in Skopje. During the meeting, Arifi allegedly stated that he was aware of the patient’s financial status and demanded €100,000 for admission to the hospital. When the witness protested that the amount was too high, Arifi allegedly suggested they sell the patient’s apartment to cover the payment — an option the family rejected due to legal constraints involving a lifelong support agreement.
On April 3 and again on April 4, the witness met with the suspects. They reportedly agreed that the witness would provide €20,000 as a guarantee, with the remainder to be paid after verifying whether the patient owned other property that could be sold. On April 8, the second suspect was caught by police receiving the €20,000 cash inside the witness’s car.
Muhsin Arifi was appointed hospital director in July 2024 as a political nominee from the Alliance for Albanians, led by Arben Taravari.
The case has sparked outrage, with calls for strict punishment and deeper investigations into systemic corruption in public health institutions.