CORRUPTION BAROMETER FOR FEBRUARY 2024
Transparency International Macedonia continues to carry out its regular monthly activities for monitoring cases and activities related to corrupt behavior and the fight against corruption, which we’ve named “Light & Dark”
The monitoring of these cases has received significant attention, both in the public sphere and among domestic and foreign institutions, and over time, it has evolved into a relevant alternative barometer for measuring corruption and assessing the government’s willingness to address this issue.
“DARK” OCCURRENCES FOR FEBRUARY 2024
The Kicevo-Ohrid highway, the largest infrastructure investment with “decade-long” construction – Despite an additional loan of $180 million, a 6-year extension of construction, and a 45% increase in the contract value, the section Kicevo-Ohrid remains unbuilt. Deficiencies in project documentation, unresolved land expropriations, and insufficiently secured human and technical resources by the contractor have led to prolonged construction and caused an additional drain on financial resources beyond the initially agreed, which is not in line with the prescribed legal standard for prudent action regulated by the Companies Act, as stated in the State Audit Office report.
SCPC demands accountability from the Innovation Fund, which unlawfully awarded grants, including to the grandson of Ali Ahmeti – Anticorruption activists demanded the Government hold accountable the authorities of the Innovation and Technological Development Fund, including its director Festim Halili, due to suspicions of law misuse concerning the awarded five million denars to the companies “Thor Industries” and “Everest JD”, owned by Drin Ahmeti, grandson of Ali Ahmeti. The abuses allegedly circumvented legal procedures by shortening project deadlines, a principle the Fund operated on in other cases unrelated to Drin Ahmeti.
Dzaferi paid a fine but continued to break the law – Talat Dzaferi violated the Constitution and paid a fine for incompatibility of functions. According to anticorruption activists, despite being the Speaker of the Parliament, Dzaferi simultaneously held positions in DUI party organs, particularly in the Presidency of the party’s General Council. Anticorruption Commission questioned whether, despite paying the fine, Dzaferi still performs party functions, but received no response from DUI.
Anticorruption Commission will submit a case to the Prosecutor’s Office against Ivica Konevski – SCPC decided to submit a case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Financial Police against the former Mayor of Aerodrom Municipality, Ivica Konevski, for abusing his mayoral function to change the detailed urban plan at Majchin Dom, replacing greenery with a nine-story building for personal gain – obtaining business premises of 312 square meters.
SCPC closes the “Treska” DUP case and refers it to the prosecution – The SCPC board closed the case concerning the planning of the “Treska” DUP and forwarded it to the Prosecutor’s Office, citing suspicions of corruption against the firms that drafted the plan ten years ago, which the municipality adopted contrary to the general urban plan.
“LIGHT” OCCURRENCES FOR FEBRUARY 2024
They mediated employment in the Agency for Administration: seven people “earned” criminal charges – Seven people, one from Prilep, four from Skopje and two from Gostivar, received criminal charges from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for several crimes. As announced by this institution, they are accused of “abuse of official position and authority”, “accepting a bribe”, “receiving a reward for illegal influence”, “giving a bribe” and “giving a reward for illegal influence”.
Investigation into racketeering association: Property of “Novomatrix” frozen, owner suspected of tax evasion – Upon the request of the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office, the Basic Crimina Court Skopje imposed temporary measures prohibiting the disposal, disposal, and encumbrance of vehicles owned by the company “Salus Plus,” formerly known as “Novomatrix,” whose owner is Aleksandar Naumov. The decision was registered in the Central Register, indicating that, following the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office on October 27, 2023, the Criminal Court issued a decision on October 31, 2023, to impose temporary measures – a ban on the disposal, disposal, and encumbrance of motor vehicles due to suspicion of organized crime and tax evasion.
Professional soldier supplied phones to prisoners in Idrizovo – “The suspect in penitentiary institution Idrizovo – Skopje, as a professional soldier in the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, due to the declared state of emergency in the prison area, was engaged as an external-static security guard from the guard tower on the prison wall. In doing so, he exceeded the limits of his official authority with the intention to provide and enable the use of mobile phones and communication to two convicts in the closed section, to whom, according to prison regulations, the use of mobile phones was prohibited, without the supervision of prison police.
Policeman from the border crossing “Kjafasan” took bribe, colleague covered it up – The Department for Internal Control, Criminal Investigations, and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Interior filed criminal charges against K.M. for suspicion of receiving bribes and G.B. for suspicion of assisting the perpetrator after committing a criminal offense.
Corruption Barometer February 2024
