Skopje, 19 July 2023 (MIA) – It is not a matter of some kind of political showdown, Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski said Wednesday commenting on the investigation launched earlier against 15 people and three legal entities suspected of tax evasion, criminal association and money laundering. Among the detained is former deputy director at the directorate of the Public Revenues Office (PRO) in Skopje and DUI member, Ismet Guri. 

"It is absolutely no question of any kind of political showdown, because the only thing that the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office are guided by is to fight against crime and corruption," Spasovski told Sitel TV. 

According to him, there is no greater offense than misusing budget funds collected from the tax paid by citizens.

Given this aspect, he added, there is neither a need nor a possibility to go into any qualifications, be they political or any other.

"This is a case that once again shows the firm commitment of the Ministry of Interior to fight against crime and corruption, on which we will not back down and in which no one will be spared, regardless of who they are, what they do, what position they are in," Spasovski pointed out.  

The Ministry of Interior filed criminal charges against 15 people and three legal entities for several crimes, including "criminal association", "tax fraud" and "laundering of money and other proceeds of crime".

According to Spasovski, it is a matter of financial crime involving people from the Public Revenue Office, businessmen and accountants whose goal was to pump money from the state budget in an illegal way. The damage done to the Budget is about EUR 840,000. Part of the funds, Spasovski noted, were used for the purchase of real estate.

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