Northern Macedonia Search for Former Secret Police Chief

The house arrest ruling was made by a court, with duration until Friday (February 26th), when the court must pronounce the final decision on the case.

Police told Radio Free Europe that they are taking steps and are carrying out activities to find Mijalkov, while announcing that national arrest warrants have been issued for him.

Asked whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs would issue international arrest warrants for Mijalkov, this minister said that “has so far, following the size and activities company, the person in question has not been found, we will announce the court and from which we will request that measures be pronounced for international arrest warrant<1>.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court explains that the house arrest measure was submitted Sunday afternoon, at the prosecution's request for organised crime and corruption.

The Criminal Court explains that the alarm Sasho Mijalkov may escape has been delivered by the Bureau for Public Security, while the court has later issued measures for presence insurance, but police have not been able to find the defendant at the addresses he has presented at where he lives.

On Monday, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said he is desperate for Mijalkov's failure to find at the time, as he has expressed “when people seek justice, there is also an escape of”.

Zaev has also dismissed the possibility that there is an agreement with former secret police director Mijalkov.

“Absolutely there is no political agreement”, Zaev said.

Macedonian Prime Minister Mijalkov's disappearance has blamed him for failing to act on institutions.

I once again stress, even the one with a lot of responsibility and severity from all institutions, because I expect responsibility for this case, where law enforcement should take place”, Zaev stressed.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Macedonian opposition, Hristija Mickovski, has called for the government's immediate resignation, as it has said, “Mafia has its state” in the country.

Meanwhile, Qebir Avziu, former senior police official, currently legalist at the Law Faculty at Tetovo University, said the prosecution has been delayed with a request for home arrest. According to him, since this institution has been aware that Mijalkov has great influence and can easily become elusive by justice organs.

The public prosecutor is responsible in this case, since he has known that the criminal procedure is conducted against a person who has great influence in the Republic of Northern Macedonia. And instead of demanding a stronger measure, more serious measures, such as detention, he has demanded a easier measure, such as obtaining the passport and now the consequences of this” decision come up, says Avziu.

Based on the charge of the case known as “Targate-Foresa”, Sasho Mijalkov during the time he headed the Directorate for National Security through three systems has illegally tapped over 4,000 telephone numbers, without a court decision on such wiretapping.

This subject was established by the Special Prosecutor on December 22nd of 2017 against former senior state officials, following the publication of the so-called “bomba” by the then opposition leader Zoran Zaev, currently prime minister of Northern Macedonia, in February 2015, where he had announced that they illegally have been tracking over 20,000 citizens from secret police structures. Zaev had said there were politicians, businessmen, journalists, etc. among the people who had been bugged.

The final decision on the case is expected to be made on February 26th.

Otherwise, even former Northern Macedonia Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski fled on November 12th, 2018 to Budapest, Hungary, just two days before his deadline when he was due to appear to serve his prison sentence, on charges of misuse of official office.