Skopje, 23 December 2024 (MIA) - We have excellent cooperation with the neighboring ministries of interior but there is no official information about fugitives of justice from them until now, says Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski regarding the whereabouts of former deputy PM Artan Grubi and former State Lottery director Perparim Bajrami, who are suspected of misappropriation of office in the State Lottery case.

"I would like to believe what he said, that he would come back to Macedonia because he is as clean as a whistle and because be believes these accusations are not valid. I would encourage him to return to Macedonia. The MoI has the capacity to guarantee his safety. He must be available to the court in order to prove his innocence," Minister Toshkovski told Telma.

Asked if there were 'moles' in the MoI or the Prosecutor's Office who had tipped off Grubi so that he leaves the country, Toshkovski say he cannot share information from the investigation, while adding that larger amounts of money were found during the searches, "that are suspected of being illicitly acquired in order to buy property in and out of Macedonia".

Regarding the border police officer who has been suspended, the Minister says he made a cardinal error because he failed to stop the vehicle in which Grubi was a passenger, despite the former deputy PM being on a 'stop list".

"Unfortunately, the police officer did not follow standard operational procedures and he should be held responsible," says Toshkovski and adds that the investigation will show if the police officer was part of an organization involving more individuals.

Asked why will the shift leader face only disciplinary action over the malfunction of the bodycams of the police officers, the Minister says the problem with the bodycams was there for a while, "but the cameras on the border crossing were operational and recorded the actions by the police officer who took Grubi's passport for inspection and then returned it to him".

Photo" Telma screenshot