What is known so far about corruption cases in North Macedonia?

2025-12-23 18:19:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Businessmen Asmir Jahoski and Ratko Kapushevski were arrested", "The office of the former director of the Service for General and Joint Affairs (SOZR), Pece Mircevski, was raided" and "there are indications of the whereabouts of Artan Grubi".

These are some of the news that was given to the citizens of North Macedonia during 2025 about suspected high-profile corruption cases, for which there is still no epilogue; neither indictments nor decisions to halt investigations by prosecutors.

How far have the investigations progressed at the end of this year, when the Public Prosecutor's Office of North Macedonia is about to elect a new chief, following the departure of Ljupco Kocevski from the post of state prosecutor?

Fuel oil is sent for expertise to Serbia, assistance from professors and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is expected

Businessman Asmir Jahoski, known to the public for his oil company Pucko Petrol, as well as the owners of the RKM company, Ratko Kapushevski and Erxhan Sulkoski, are awaiting the outcome of the investigation in which they are suspects, related to the supply of fuel oil for the needs of the Negotino Thermal Power Plant, in the period from 2021 to 2023.

They are just three of a total of 13 individuals, as well as one company, involved in the investigation where prosecutors suspect that the state budget was damaged by 167.5 million euros.

The latest information on the stage the investigation is in is that the Basic Public Prosecution Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption (PTHP KOKK) is awaiting responses and documents from other institutions.

In this case, samples of fuel oil have been sent for expertise to an accredited laboratory in Serbia.

The results from there arrived on November 27, after which the prosecution, as stated in the response to the Balkan Service of Radio Free Europe (REL), requested professional assistance from the Institute of Chemistry at the Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences and the Faculty of Technology, both part of the State University "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Skopje.

They were supposed to recommend professors who would help clarify issues arising from the expertise.

"Although both institutions were obliged to make the nomination within 10 days of submitting the request, to date the prosecution has not received any response," the Office of the Prosecutor General's Office (OPK) told REL.

In addition to the faculties, the prosecution has been waiting for a response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a longer time.

The PTHP KOKK emphasize that they needed additional documentation for fuel oil supplies to the Negotino TPP and from the Production Sector at the North Macedonian Power Plants (ESM), so in September they ordered the MIA to provide them.

"The public prosecutor expects that the data, documentation and analysis requested by the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be submitted by the end of this year, after which he will make a decision on the further course of the procedure," the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Criminal Investigation Department added.

Meanwhile, precautionary measures are in effect for the suspected businessmen, who were initially in custody and then released on bail.

Jahoski, Kapushevski and Sulkoski are required to appear in court from time to time and have provided financial guarantees, depositing money for compensation for damage. In addition, Kapushevski and Sulkoski have had their passports confiscated, which does not apply to Jahoski.

The criminal offenses that are the subject of this investigation with 13 suspects and one company are: misuse of the public call procedure, awarding a public procurement contract or public-private partnership, and money laundering.

The other suspects in the investigation are people who have held high positions in ESM, from the general director and sector directors, to chairmen and members of committees related to public procurement.

Grubi and Bajrami are not in the country, so there is no possibility of a trial against them.

Some of the names involved in this investigation are also related to the affairs in the State Lottery, which REL has written about. One of them is Jahoski, who is the son of the former mayor of Pllasnica and current MP Ismail Jahoski from the European Front coalition led by the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).

Jahoski became the owner of the company "Hej DOOEL", which concluded a disputed contract for the lease of business premises with the State Lottery in Vizbegovo, Skopje, worth 2.6 million euros. The Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Police opened an investigation after the research published by REL.

Meanwhile, for other embezzlements in the State Lottery, the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Skopje at the end of 2024 opened an investigation that also included former First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi from DUI, who was also placed on the US blacklist.

The case is related to the organization of electronic games of chance, namely the purchase of VLT terminals, while the damage to the State Lottery budget was estimated by the prosecution at 8 million euros.

Former general director Përparim Bajrami is also a suspect, who, together with Grubi, is on the run and an international arrest warrant has been issued for them.

Less than a month before resigning from his position as state prosecutor, Ljupco Kocevski, on the "360 Degrees" show on November 24, stated that the investigation in which Grubi is suspected has been completed and that only his extradition is awaited.

However, there is no official information yet that the former First Deputy Prime Minister has been located or that his extradition has been officially requested by any country. His absence is also an obstacle to the trial.

“Hetimi është ngritur për vepër penale për të cilën parashikohet dënim me burg mbi 5 vjet dhe, sipas kësaj, nuk ekziston mundësi ligjore për gjykim në mungesë”, theksojnë nga PTHP Shkup për REL-in.

Vepra për të cilën dyshohen Grubi dhe Bajrami, siç theksohet edhe në fletarrestim, është përvetësim në shërbim, ndërsa edhe katër persona të tjerë ndiqen për keqpërdorim të pozitës dhe autorizimeve zyrtare.

Në pritje të vendimit për aktakuzë për ish-drejtorin e SOZR-it

Një tjetër hetim i përfunduar, që lidhet me keqpërdorime të funksionarëve të lartë, është ai për Shërbimin për Çështje të Përgjithshme dhe të Përbashkëta pranë Qeverisë, ku i dyshuar është ish-drejtori Pece Mirçevski.

“Hetimi ka përfunduar dhe po rrjedhin afatet ligjore për shqyrtimin e provave nga ana e mbrojtjes”, thonë nga Prokuroria e Shkupit për REL-in.

Kjo do të thotë se së shpejti mund të ketë vendim për ngritjen e aktakuzës ndaj tij.

Mirçevski, siç u njoftua edhe me hapjen e hetimit në shkurt, dyshohet për vepra penale të vazhduara: marrje ryshfeti dhe përvetësim në shërbim. Përveç tij, është përfshirë edhe një person tjetër për veprën dhënie ryshfeti.

Prokuroria e ndjek Mirçevskin sepse, ndër të tjera, nuk ka deklaruar konflikt interesi dhe nuk është përjashtuar nga pesë prokurime publike të fituara nga kompania e të dyshuarit të dytë, edhe pse “realizonte përfitim të drejtpërdrejtë material për vete dhe për bashkëshorten e tij”.

Mes këtyre përfitimeve, prokuroria pretendon se Mirçevski përdorte një automjet Volkswagen Passat nga kompania që fitonte tenderët, ndërsa bashkëshortja e tij përdorte shërbime transporti me automjete dhe shoferë.

Gjithashtu, ish-drejtori i SOZR ndiqet edhe për përvetësime të lidhura me udhëtime që paraqiteshin si zyrtare, për të cilat nënshkruante rezervime hotelesh, bileta avioni, urdhra udhëtimi jashtë vendit.

Prokuroria Themelore Publike Shkup dhe Prokuroria Themelore Publike për Ndjekjen e Krimit të Organizuar dhe Korrupsionit do t’i çojnë këto lëndë drejt epilogut gjyqësor në mandatin e prokurorit të ri të shtetit.

Kocevski dha dorëheqje më 16 dhjetor, në ditën kur në Kuvend duhej të fillonte debati për shkarkimin e tij me propozim të Qeverisë. Me largimin e tij, Kocevski akuzoi se vendimi i pushtetit është politik dhe u shpreh i zhgënjyer, duke thënë se bëhet fjalë për “mosrespektim të dukshëm të parimeve mbi të cilat mbështetet shteti ligjor”.

Përfaqësues të pushtetit, përfshirë edhe kryeministrin Hristijan Mickoski, e kritikonin vazhdimisht për mungesë rezultatesh në punën e tij.

Derisa deputetët të zgjedhin një prokuror të ri të shtetit, i cili sipas dispozitave ligjore propozohet nga Qeveria me mendim pozitiv nga Këshilli i Prokurorëve Publikë, në këtë funksion më 22 dhjetor, u emërua një ushtruese detyre.

Në seancë, anëtarët e Këshillit të Prokurorëve Publikë e emëruan Anita Topolova-Isajllovskën si ushtruese të detyrës së prokurorit të shtetit.

An attempt to elect an acting president was also made on December 18, but was unsuccessful due to the absence of a Council member.

The acting state prosecutor cannot remain at the head of the Public Prosecution Service for longer than six months. /REL