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 relevant stakeholders, and over time, it has evolved into a relevant indicator for measuring corruption and assessing the government’s willingness to address this issue.
“DARK” OCCURRENCES FOR FEBRUARY 2025
Investigation for bribery and embezzlement in SGCA – The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Skopje has issued an order to conduct an investigation against two individuals, including the former director of the Service for General and Common Affairs (SOZR) of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Pece Mircevski, who is suspected of receiving bribes and embezzlement in the service, as well as the owner and manager of a legal entity suspected of giving bribes.
Misuse with the reconstruction and lighting of the Government building – The Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption has filed an indictment against one person and a motion for indictment against four people for abuses related to the reconstruction of the facade and the lighting of the Government building, which was part of the “Skopje 2014” project. The indictment, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, is based on evidence from the period of February – April 2013, with a financial loss to the state budget of approximately 3 million euros. Among the accused are the head of the construction company “Bauer BG” and the former director of the Service for General and Common Affairs of the Government, Vase Donev.
It’s cheaper for many former and current officials to pay a fine than to declare assets on the Anti-Corruption Commission’s List – About eighty former and current officials will pay fines after the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) determined that they failed to declare their property status, did not submit the requested documents within the specified deadline, or did not recuse themselves in certain procedures. “By publishing this information, the SCPC aims to inform the public and encourage citizens, as well as institutions, to adhere to legal norms. We expect that by fulfilling this legal obligation, trust in monitoring and control processes will increase, as well as strengthen efforts for the effective prevention of corruption and conflicts of interest in the Republic of North Macedonia. The SCPC believes this measure is extremely important for increasing transparency and accountability of every institution in the fight against corruption,” states the SCPC announcement.
Former Director of the Skopje Prison allowed five high-risk convicts to temporarily roam freely – Five convicts from the Shutovo Orizari prison were unlawfully temporarily released for 8 to 10 hours, a privilege granted by the former director Filip Andov, who is suspected, along with nine other individuals, in a case being handled by the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption. They are being prosecuted for “Illegal release of a person deprived of liberty” and the criminal offense “Abuse of official position and authority.” “The first suspect, by abusing his official position with the intention of granting unlawful benefits to five convicts, allowed and ordered that high-security risk prisoners, on multiple occasions, receive benefits that, according to judicial decisions, were not entitled to,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption reports.
SCPC: A member of the AEC Commission did not meet the requirements, but the person was appointed to the position by the Assembly – Despite lacking the necessary education and required work experience, this person became a member of the Commission in the Agency for Electronic Communications. The State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, following a prior report, found that the individual appointed to this high position by the Assembly did not meet some of the conditions. “The diploma from the Faculty of Public Administration with the professional title of graduated public administrator does not fall within the fields of informatics, telecommunications, law, or economics,” said Cveta Ristovska, a member of the SCPC. Due to suspicions of violations of the Law on Electronic Communications, the SCPC will inform the parliamentary committee for elections and appointments.
SAO: Weaknesses identified in the operations of the Central Registry – The audit of the Central Registry’s operations revealed irregularities, including the sale of passenger vehicles without government approval, discrepancies in revenue records, and malfunctioning registers. Additionally, issues with debts, irregularities in employment, and legal ambiguities affecting the institution’s effectiveness were identified. Audit with serious remarks for the Employment Agency in the 2023 report – Serious weaknesses in the implementation of employment measures and problems in the allocation of funds are noted in the 2023 report by the State Audit Office. Auditors found that these measures were not being implemented according to the principle of balanced regional development. Lack of inspection oversight reduces the effectiveness of controls in student dormitories – The State Audit Office identified serious weaknesses in the implementation of inspection oversight in student dormitories and educational institutions. The lack of regular and extraordinary inspections, staffing issues, and the failure to implement recommendations from previous audits have led to reduced effectiveness of control processes and risks of improper functioning of the institutions, according to the audit report.
Transparency International: Macedonia’s fight against corruption drops 12 places – With only two fewer points than in 2023, North Macedonia finished 2024 with a drop of 12 positions on Transparency International’s corruption perception index. According to the 2024 Corruption Perception Index, the country is ranked 88th out of 180 countries with 40 points. In 2023, the country was ranked 76th, largely due to criticism of changes to the Criminal Code, but this year’s decline is attributed to scandals within the judiciary, the Judicial Council, and the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors. “Impunity for high-level corruption linked to individuals in public positions, indications of political influence in the judiciary, poor control by the Judicial Council over judges, and the European Union’s evaluation mission recommendations, as well as the violation of the law with the selection of candidates for the Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors during elections, are just some of the scandals that have shaken the judiciary,” said the president of Transparency International – Macedonia, Blagoja Pandovski.
“LIGHT” OCCURRENCES FOR FEBRUARY 2025
Constitutional Judges unanimously accepted the initiative of prosecutor Lenče Ristoska against the Rules of procedure of the Public Prosecutors Council made for self-promotion – The Constitutional Court unanimously accepted the initiative of prosecutor Lenče Ristoska to initiate a procedure to examine the constitutionality of the Rules of Procedure of the Public Prosecutors Council, which stipulates that, even if they do not work on cases, their service is considered positively evaluated for the duration of their 4-year term in the Council. With this high positive evaluation, a member of the Council of Public Prosecutors, once they leave the Council, can apply for promotion. “This benefit is received by the members themselves, who, after completing their term in the Public Prosecutors Council, are promoted to higher positions within public prosecutor offices,” the initiative states. Ristoska was even evaluated while on maternity leave with twins, and she was criticized for not having worked on any cases during that period. She filed a case against the Council with the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination. Just because she openly and publicly criticized the Public Prosecutors Council, the Prosecutors’ Code was changed, prohibiting them from speaking without the approval of their superior. Under pressure from both domestic and international public opinion, this censorship was later revoked.
Director and six employees at the Tetovo Social Center to face charges for misuse – The Tetovo Police Department has filed a criminal report against seven employees of the Social Work Center in Tetovo, due to grounds for suspicion of misuse of office, negligent work, and document forgery, which enabled the illegal payment of 289,495 MKD, the police announced. Public Prosecutor’s Office: Raids Conducted at 16 Locations, Investigating Allegations of Illegal Contracts Involving Public Procurement – Following an order from a public prosecutor at the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated a preliminary investigation into misuse s related to public procurement for servicing official vehicles. The investigation involves some employees from the General and Common Affairs Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are suspected of misuse of office and contracts with economic operators. “So far, raids have been conducted at 16 locations, by order of an investigating judge and in accordance with the public prosecutor’s request. The procedure is in its early stages, so we cannot share more details at this time. However, the aim of the investigation is to examine the allegations of misuse and illegal contracts involving public procurement,” said the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor’s Office: Raids conducted at 16 locations, investigating allegations of illegal contracts involving public procurement – Following an order from a public prosecutor from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated a preliminary investigation into abuses related to public procurement for servicing official vehicles. The investigation involves some employees from the General and Common Affairs Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are suspected of misusing their official duties and engaging in contracts with economic operators. “Up to this moment, raids have been conducted at 16 locations, following an order from an investigating judge and in accordance with the request of the public prosecutor. The procedure is still in its early stages, and therefore, we cannot provide further details at this time. However, the goal of the investigation is to examine the allegations of abuse and illegal contracts involving public procurement,” stated the Prosecutor’s Office.
Criminal report against the former Acting Director of the Hospital in Ohrid – The police have filed a criminal report against the former acting director of the General Hospital in Ohrid for misuse of office and authority. According to the Ohrid Police Department, the former acting director, by neglecting proper oversight and without legal grounds, assigned a leadership and responsibility coefficient to four employees at the Health Center, who did not have decisions for managerial positions, thereby allowing them to receive a higher salary at the expense of the hospital, amounting to a total of 257,920 MKD.
