US warns expansion of blacklist in Northern Macedonia

American Ambassador to Skopje Angela Ageler has warned Wednesday of expanding the blacklist with other people suspected of corruption in northern Macedonia.

On December 5th, the US State Department put former Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Koco Agoushev on the blacklist, while several other high profile politicians and businessmen before him, as Struga municipality chairman Ramiz Merko and contour businessman Orce Kamchev.

Speaking to reporters in Skopje, Ageler said putting Agoyuv on the blacklist was done after the numerous “evidence of his involvement in corruption.

She did not provide details or names of people who could be placed on the US blacklist, but added that Aguuschev would not be the only name on the black list.

I can promise you that there are other people whose cases are being processed in Washington. I don't want to speculate when it will be announced, but I promise you this was not the last name”, Agler said.

She stressed that for their quickest place on the blacklist, it takes time because “ky is a complex and laboring process that requires full security that individuals assigned are actually part of the corrupt activities”.

Such steps, said Ageler, are a way for Washington to help fight corruption.

“There is an epidemic of corruption in this country that has affected every sector, every organisation and only by pointing out corrupt actors can we begin to help the country deal with those questions”, she stressed.

Ambassador Ageler also expressed her despair over the lack of results in fighting corruption in northern Macedonia.

“in the past 32 years, or by declaring the country's independence, the United States has invested nearly half a billion dollars in good governance and rule of law, but so far has failed to produce the expected results”, Ageler added. / REL