Skopje: A clash between power and opposition over the escape of Artan Grubit

The opposition Social Democrat League of Macedonia (LSDM) has called on former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, who has recently been asked to address international arrest for, as it has been said, the adoption of over 8m euros of State Lottery.

The party warns that if Minister Toshkovski fails to do so, “ata will personally publish the truth”.

“The LSDM is becoming more and more disturbing. If Toshkovski in 24 hours fails to tell the truth about the case, then LSDM will reveal the scandal as a whole. It is time for Toshkovski not to hide and take responsibility for the entire incident”, the LSDM said Thursday.

The LSDM believes Grubi's escape was not only carefree, but, as they say, “a well-organised VMRO-DPMNE effort and the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), in charge of Toshkovski, to let Grubi go”.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski, through a statement on social networks Thursday afternoon, announced that his ministry (MPB) has access to a video census that testifies to the misuse of the official position of a police officer, who, according to him, allegedly has released Artan Grub at the Blace border point, linking northern Macedonia and Kosovo. Toshkovski added that the official has been suspended from work, and criminal speculation has been filed against him.

I'm sorry that a party that calls itself a reformist party again protects its partners, so DUI, and still shows that it doesn't work in the interest of its citizens, but in the lucrative interest of their closest associates. Otherwise, the person who is precisely elusive for the prosecution organs, at a time when they were in love, were a”, Toshkovski said.

Grubi, who entered the US blacklist for corruption, has denied leaving the country, saying he is abroad “for a private visit”. He has added that he has also informed his personal police security of this visit.

On the other hand, the Albanian opposition party Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) claims all these events would not have happened if VMRO- DPMNE and Albanian coalition V LEN, part of the government, would not have blocked their legal proposal, which, according to this party, envisioned strict restrictions on individuals involved in the US “blacklist” for corruption.

For this reason, during our leadership in the government until May of this year, our ministers proposed a progressive law establishing strict restrictions on individuals declared in the US blacklist for corruption. This law was intended to prevent these individuals from participating in elections and in public procurement processes”, the DUI statement said.

Northern Macedonia's Ministry of Internal Affairs published on December 18th international arrests issued for Grubin and the former director of State Lottery, Progress Bajrami. These warrants were issued at the request of the Public Prosecution and based on the Constitutional Court's ruling, which on December 17th decided the 30-day detention measure for suspects.

Grubi and Bajrami are charged with embezzlement “of illegal property” by State Lottaria, while the damage caused is estimated to be around 8.2m euros.

Grubi, former deputates, now former DUI member, in opposition, risks being sentenced to prison for up to five years if convicted.

Among the suspects in the case of State Lottery are former Prime Minister and former Freedom of the Social Democrat League of Macedonia (LSDM), Dimitar Kovachevski, as well as former Government Secretary General Methodius Dimovski, who are charged with <x1-> misusing office and official authority”.

Kovachevski has denied the accusations.

“What I can say is that during my work as prime minister and deputy minister of finance, I have been guided by the laws, I have always worked according to procedures, and in no way have I participated in the work of any public enterprise, nor of any state-owned agricultural society”, former Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said on December 18th. / REL