Skopje, 12 July 2023 (MIA) - The Ministry of Interior has zero tolerance for corruption, the fight must be rigorous and constant, transparent and non-selective. Corruption is just that, no matter where it occurs, it must be suppressed. Naturally, if corruption occurs at a high level, it is more problematic because it can have a greater impact on the system. Nevertheless, as institutions, as a system, we have to have a good answer for this issue, says Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski on the cooperation between the Interior Ministry and institutions responsible for suppressing corruption.

Spasovski told TV24 that the Ministry of Interior has a good cooperation with the institutions in charge of the fight against corruption, the MoI said in a press release.

"I can testify for the good cooperation with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, with concrete agreements for cooperation, memoranda for electronic exchange of information. We created a more secure system for whistleblowers. Every procedure should be conducted regardless of who is involved, evidence should be collected, and wherever there is crime - responsibility should follow. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of being left out of criminal or corruption proceedings. This is the only way citizens can have trust in institutions," Spasovski notes.

Arguing that corruption as a phenomenon practically deprives citizens of many services that are needed, Minister Spasovski states that through corruption, citizens are deprived of services in education, healthcare, as it eats away at the economy and jobs in favor of enriching groups and individuals. Which is why it is especially important investigations for corruption be followed by financial investigations and property confiscations.

Answering a question on whether there is anyone protected for corruption, Spasovski says decisively "Whomever it concerns, there are no nephews, nor brothers, sisters, politicians... I do not want to create an illusion for the public that just because someone is connected to someone powerful or is at the very top themselves - that they will not be charged."

Asked about the security situation in North Macedonia, especially in correlation to the developments in Kosovo, the Minister notes that the situation is stable, without any indication of possible disruption, and that all institutions in charge of security are as vigilant as possible.

"North Macedonia is part of NATO and that makes us more relaxed in many ways, unlike other countries that are not a part of the military-political alliance. We are constantly and fully committed to this activity, and the operational headquarters is active, information is exchanged daily, and citizens can be reassured, because there is no basis for anything that could disrupt the safety in the region," emphasizes Spasovski. ssh/ik/

Photo: MoI