Skopje, 19 February 2025 (MIA) - The Financial Police has submitted one more criminal charge to the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office against the former head of State Lottery Perparim Bajrami for the abuse of official position and authorization. Barjami is suspected of agreeing to lease offices for the need of the enterprise that weren’t appropriate and weren’t in accordance with the criteria listed in the public call, while the price of the lease was twice as high as the real market price, the Financial Police said Wednesday.

“As director of State Lottery, P.B. abused his official position and authorization by reaching an agreement on 05.07.2023 to lease an administrative-corporate space with legal entity HEJ DOOEL Skopje concerning corporate premises that were not adapted and ready for use by State Lottery, at a price per m2 that is at least twice as high as the real market price and with a lease agreement that did not meet the special criteria from the public call,” the Financial Police said.

After the lease agreement, the Financial Police said the State Lottery did not use the offices while it paid Mden 24.636.045 to HEJ DOOEL Skopje for them.

In December 2024, the Ministry of Interior issued arrest warrants for former First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi and the head of State Lottery Perparim Bajrami, who are suspected of misappropriating around EUR 8 million from the budget of State Lottery.

Both suspects are currently not available to law enforcement.

Photo: MIA Archive