Skopje, 21 September 2023 (MIA) - Minister of Justice Krenar Lloga attended the latest meeting of the working group drafting a new law on confiscation of property in civil proceedings. It is drafted at the proposal of the Ministry of Justice, and the working group is chaired by Deputy PM for good governance policies, Slavica Grkovska.

According to the Justice Ministry, the law will make it impossible to have at disposal property or property benefits that can't be proven to have been acquired from legal sources, which makes illegal actions unprofitable and enables an effective fight against crime and corruption.

Minister Lloga told members of the working group that the law is of exceptional importance, and the fight against crime and corruption cannot be carried out without it.  

The procedure regulated by the law includes property that is in North Macedonia or outside the country and is owned by natural and legal persons. 

The law enables recognition and execution of foreign confiscation decisions in civil proceedings, as well as international cooperation with competent authorities in order to prevent having at disposal property that has not been acquired from legal sources, the Justice Ministry said in a press release. 

"Starting the procedure under this law requires a reasonable suspicion that there is property whose acquisition cannot be proven to be from legal sources, and if the net value of the property whose acquisition cannot be proven to be from legal sources exceeds EUR 30,000 in denar equivalent according to the average exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia," reads the press release.

The competent authority to collect data on property whose acquisition cannot be proven to be from legal sources is the Financial Police Office, which can file a motion to the State Attorney. 

The draft law will be sent for opinion to the Venice Commission and the European Commission. 

Photo: MIA archive