Committee hearing to be held Wednesday on role of National Security Agency in granting Macedonian citizenship to Onyshchenko
Skopje, 14 November 2022 (MIA) – The Parliamentary Committee for Oversight of the Work of the National Security Agency and the Intelligence Agency has scheduled a session for Wednesday, the agenda of which is to discuss the role of the National Security Agency in the security check of the person Oleksandr Onyshchenko, in granting a positive opinion on receiving Macedonian citizenship.
President of the Committee Ljupcho Prendzhov said Monday that the head of the National Security Agency, Viktor Dimovski, will have to explain how Onyshchenko, who is accused of corruption deals in Ukraine and is put on the U.S. list of sanctioned persons, has passed through the security filter.
“He is most called upon to answer. Personally, I am very concerned about the issuance of Macedonian citizenships and Macedonian passports. I already have the feeling that every other criminal holds a Macedonian passport in their pocket, and in my opinion, I think this is a major challenge and an anomaly in the country's security sector,” Prendzhov said.
Ukrainian national Onyshchenko has become a Macedonian citizen as an equestrian athlete at the proposal of the Equestrian Federation. The decision to grant him Macedonian citizenship was made by the Government after receiving positive opinion from all competent institutions.
Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said earlier on Monday that he has sent a request to the institutions involved in passing positive opinions granting Onyshchenko's citizenship, to submit a report on whether and how a procedure was carried out.
