Skopje, 14 March 2023 (MIA) - As of Tuesday, the convicted former Customs Administration director Dragan Daravelski is a free man, after the Skopje-based Criminal Court revoked the sentence handed down in 2008 due to the absolute statute of limitations. Under the decision of the court, the criminal proceeding against Daravelski is terminated permanently.

The court sentenced Daravelski to seven years in jail in absentia in 2007 for abuse of office and misappropriating 2.5 millions of euros from state funds from the period from 1999 to 2002.

Daravelski, who has been wanted on arrest warrant for 20 years, was arrested at the Tabanovce border in January 2023. However, it was already known that his criminal case was time-barred.

Acting according to the legal provisions on statute of limitations for criminal acts, the court determined that in the case of Daravelski, the absolute statute of limitations already expired on December 1, 2022.

Daravelski headed the Customs Administration from 1999 to 2002.