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 SEPTEMBER 2025
More than half of institutions failed to submit data on official vehicles to the State Commission for Prevention Corruption (SCPC)
According to the Electoral Code, public funds, public enterprises, and all other legal entities managing state capital were obligated to submit data to the SCPC by August 18 of this year at the latest. The required data includes the number, type, license plates, and operational status of official vehicles. A total of 1,514 institutions were required to submit this information. As of today, only 635 institutions or 42 percent have done so, while 879 institutions, or 58 percent, have not submitted any information at all.
Audit uncovers issues in the ministry of education and science – million-euro debts, unfinished student dorms, and rotting textbooks in storage – The State Audit Office has completed its audit of the financial reports and compliance of the Ministry of Education and Science for the year 2023. The results of the audit are more than concerning the institution responsible for overseeing education shows serious shortcomings in almost all areas: from managing capital investments and distributing scholarships and textbooks, to long-standing unpaid debts that exist only “on paper.” The State Audit Office uncovered numerous irregularities, including that the state student dormitory in Tetovo where millions of euros were invested was put into use without a technical inspection and without an occupancy permit.
Witness who secretly recorded corrupt customs officers alleges his identity was exposed –
The man who reported corruption within the Customs Administration and participated in special investigative measures secretly recording customs officers as they solicited and accepted bribes during the operation codenamed “Premin”, in which 16 officers were arrested is now accusing prosecutors of revealing his identity to at least two of the detained individuals. The witness, a truck driver who insists on remaining anonymous, claims his safety is now at risk because the accused know who reported and recorded them. Last year, he reported that customs officers were regularly demanding bribes from him, so investigators equipped him with cameras to capture the bribery in action. The Prosecutor’s Office states that procedures were followed correctly and that no witness safety has been compromised.
Signed by 16 doctors who refuse to stay silent: “with the money from the health insurance fund, we could have built a new clinical center”– A document signed by 16 cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from public clinics submitted to the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Fund, along with eight patient case files involving heart surgeries performed in private clinics states that these are cases where “certain irregularities in the indications for surgical treatment” were found. What does that mean? We asked some of the signatories. Their answer was brief and clear: “That there was no real medical reason for surgery, based on evidence medicine.” This means that, in these eight cases, according to the 16 cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, the surgeries were unnecessary yet still billed to the Health Insurance Fund. According to our source, these were not stent procedures (which does not cover in private clinics), but rather standard heart surgeries.
Every third citizen has encountered a corrupt official – Every third citizen has had contact with a corrupt official, according to research conducted by the Faculty of Security. At a scientific conference dedicated to this issue, it was emphasized that systemic corruption poses a serious security threat, as its infiltration into institutions leads to their paralysis. “The results are staggering. Every third citizen or a close relative has encountered a corrupt official. From that perspective, we need to take a much more serious approach to this issue, as it represents a security threat to the state,” said Jonche Ivanovski, Dean of the Faculty of Security.
“LIGHT” OCCURRENCES FOR SEPTEMBER 2025
“Gray Zone”: a game for youth to raise awareness about corruption and unethical behavior – Seven young students from North Macedonia are the creators of the educational digital game “Gray Zone”, designed for high school students with the goal of raising awareness about corruption and the consequences of unethical decisions. The team also highlights the objectives they aim to achieve:
“Young people face real-life corruption scenarios. The game encourages critical thinking, moral judgment, and active reflection on the decisions made by each player throughout the game, each player’s integrity, reputation, time, and money are measured. Values such as integrity, honesty, and resistance to corruption are promoted. A long-term resource is being created that will be used in both formal and informal educational settings,” the statement adds.
Criminal charges filed against six employees of public enterprise “National Forests”: irresponsible conduct caused over €170,000 in damages – Six employees of the Public Enterprise “National Forests” have been charged with criminal offenses for negligent conduct in public service and abuse of official position and authority, having caused damage to the company’s budget exceeding €170,000. The employees acted negligently in carrying out their duties and responsibilities, specifically by failing to perform on-site inspections.
Criminal charges against three police officers for causing damages of up to two million denars – The Department for Internal Control, Criminal Investigations, and Professional Standards within the Ministry of Interior has filed criminal charges with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje against three police officers from the Misdemeanor Unit at the Skopje Police Department.
“The accused acted negligently in performing their official duties,” the MoI stated. According to the indictment, between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, the officers received records of traffic violations and misdemeanor payment orders but failed to process them within the legally prescribed two-year deadline, as outlined in the Law on Misdemeanors.
SOZR publishes phone number and email address for reporting misuse of official vehicles – The Director of the Service for General and Common Affairs (SOZR) announced that a dedicated phone number is now available for citizens to report cases of unlawful, partisan, or private use of official vehicles. “I encourage citizens to report any suspicions of misuse. We will forward the reports to the competent institution for investigation, verification of potential misuse, and the implementation of appropriate sanctions,” said Tomovski, who also called on all institutions to rationalize their vehicle fleets. The number for reporting is 070 399 050, and reports can also be submitted via email at prijavizloupotreba@sozr.gov.mk.
