Skopje, 9 October 2025 (MIA) - The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bitola said Friday it has launched an investigation against eight individuals and one legal entity for prolonged criminal offenses related to public procurement at the mining and energy combine REK Bitola.

Five officials at REK Bitola, including the then-director of the combine and four managers and directors in its mining division, are suspected of jointly committing the prolonged criminal offense of “misuse of official position and authorization” during 2023 by failing to fulfill their official duties with the intent to benefit another party, thereby causing damage to the plant through a public procurement involving the Oslomej mine.

“In defining the conditions for public procurement, they violated the principles of proportionality and competitiveness, enabling one company, the suspected legal entity, to appear as the sole bidder and sign a contract, thereby unlawfully gaining substantial financial benefit,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.

The legal entity, its owner/manager, and another employee of the company “Markovski Kompani” are suspected of knowingly submitting invoices for work that was not performed, through which they unlawfully charged REK Bitola Mden 106.200.000 (EUR 1.7 million) including VAT, thereby committing the prolonged criminal offense of “abuse of an open call procedure, awarding of public procurement contract or public-private partnership”.

Three of the managers and directors in REK Bitola’s mining division, along with another official at REK Bitola, are also suspected of prolonged criminal offense “defraud in service” for signing reports and records of completed work despite knowing that the legal entity had not fulfilled its contractual obligations.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office said a prosecutor would submit a proposal to a pre-trial judge at the Basic Court in Bitola to order detention for two individuals – the owner of the legal entity and one manager from REK Bitola’s mining division. For two other senior officials from the mining division and an employee at the legal entity, precautionary measures will be proposed, including the seizure of travel documents and mandatory periodic court appearances.  

The former head of REK Bitola is already in detention for another case, and another official from REK Bitola is currently under precautionary measures in a separate proceeding, which he has complied with so far, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

MIA file photo