Skopje, 28 June 2023 (MIA) – The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has responded to First Deputy PM Artan Grubi's statement, who said on Tuesday he didn't believe in the capacities of the Commission.

Grubi told Sitel TV that he trusts the institution, but has doubts about its capacities.

"A huge majority of their cases are either stuck in administrative procedures or have been dismissed by judges, and I hope the next makeup of the Commission will be really serious. They haven’t had a single success during their term,” said Deputy PM Grubi.

The anti-corruption commission responded in a statement on Wednesday, pointing out that the accusations are baseless. 

"You are right Mr. Grubi, the anti-corruption commission has neither the capacity to use official vehicles 24/7 including for private purposes, nor to misuse state premises, nor to use official representation and official payment cards, nor to squander budget money, but rest assured that it has the capacity to fulfill its legal obligations and competences, and to prepare numerous initiatives and recommendations that are still waiting to be acted upon," reads the anti-corruption commission's statement. 

The Commission mentions the European Commission's Report on the country's progress, which positively evaluates its proactivity and opening cases against high-level officials. The anti-corruption commission adds that this directly confirms the justification of its work, precisely in its current composition.  

"Also, in its reports, the EC calls on the competent institutions to act on the recommendations of the anti-corruption commission," the Commission's statement adds.

The anti-corruption commission notes it is surprising that the First Deputy PM doesn't recognize such an evaluation by the EC, as the highest EU body, but instead he "makes baseless accusations". 

"The anti-corruption commission is an independent institution, competent to handle cases for elected and appointed officials. The qualifications for the capacities of the Commission coming from a high-level official of North Macedonia's Government, for whom a case is opened, is nothing but an attempt to put pressure on the Commission's work, and an orchestrated attempt to shift the focus of the public. All the more so given that recently the office of the Deputy PM for good governance policies also accused the Commission of unfounded accusations related to the case of Struga Mayor Ramiz Merko, even though no such thing was mentioned at the press conference of the Commission, and the Deputy PM for European Integrations at the bilateral screening for education and culture and sport asked the president not to inform the EC about the defamation lawsuit filed by the director of the youth and sports agency, Naumche Mojsovski," the anti-corruption commission noted in the response to Grubi's statement, adding that it has the capacity to deal with "orchestrated attacks".  

Photo: MIA archive