The prosecutor's office in Skopje starts an investigation against Grub and Bexheti, after the USA put them on the black list

2024-12-11 19:21:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The prosecutor's office in Skopje starts an investigation against Grub and

Former Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Artan Grubi

The Skopje Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday that it has launched an investigation against the former deputy prime minister of North Macedonia, Artan Grubi, and the judge of the Court of Appeal, Enver Bexheti, in connection with suspicions of involvement in high corruption, a few days after the States of United blacklisted them.

Chief Prosecutor Lupço Kocevski announced that the aim of the investigation is to prove whether there is criminal responsibility for Grub and Bexheti, as the US State Department accused them of being "involved in high corruption and having accepted bribes to obstruct" the judicial processes related to the conviction of Sasho Mijalkovit, former director of the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence (DSK).

"Regarding the blacklist, I want to inform you that I have formed a case to provide evidence to prove the criminal responsibility of the persons mentioned for bribery and trade, with influence. The prosecution will issue further orders. I want to emphasize that the cooperation with the USA and the [American] Embassy is excellent and they help us in the fight against corruption", Kocevski told reporters on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Skopje, Angela Ageler, said that the evidence against them is available and Macedonian institutions can find it.

"What happens next depends on the institutions that implement the law and the judicial system," Ageler declared at a press conference on December 10.

He also emphasized that other individuals who appear on the US blacklist are involved in legal proceedings.

"There is a procedure against Ramiz Merko [mayor of the municipality of Struga], against Stevço Jakimovski [mayor of the municipality of Karpoš], there is also a procedure against other persons from the black list. From our side, action is taken against almost all the persons who are on the black list", added Kocevski.

DASH blacklisted Grub and his immediate family on December 9.

Grubi has denied being involved in corruption.

Ali Ahmeti, head of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), in the opposition, said on Wednesday in Skopje that his party has no intention of contesting the decisions of the US Department of State.

In response to journalists' questions about the possibility of Grubi's expulsion from the party, Ahmeti emphasized that Grubi is a "responsible and conscientious" person and that it is not necessary for him to be expelled from the party, because "he will withdraw himself from all party functions".

Aggeler has not ruled out the possibility that Washington will consider new options to impose sanctions on other individuals suspected of crimes and corruption in North Macedonia.

“[The blacklisting] of individuals who have been involved in criminal corruption is an ongoing process. There is a very dynamic list, in the sense that it is constantly being added to, and the evidence is examined very carefully in Washington", stressed Aggeler.

Meanwhile, the president of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, called on the Public Prosecutor's Office to act on these cases.

"There are ways in international law and in relations between countries to secure the necessary evidence and start the procedures. Otherwise, we do not react when we should, and thus tolerate illegality. I expect the Court and the Prosecutor's Office to act," said Siljanovska - Davkova.

During this year, in addition to Grub, who was the deputy prime minister of North Macedonia from the ranks of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) during the last mandate 2020-2024, and judge Enver Bexheti, the former prosecutor of Special Court, Katica Janeva and the president of Karposh, Stevço Jakimovski.

Meanwhile, in 2023, the USA expanded the black list, adding to it the mayor of Struga Municipality, Ramis Merko, former deputy prime minister Koço Angjushev, businessman Orce Kamçev, due to their involvement "in high-profile corruption".

Also, the former director of the secret police, Sasho Mijalkov, the former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, the chairman of the PDSH, Menduh Thaçi, the former MP Xhevat Ademi, the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Lube Boskovski, are also on the black list. , and some other figures./REL